[Jason Panella]

It’s like the seed of a tall tale: two incredibly prolific songwriters decide to collaborate after one approaches the other at a concert merch table; they hole up in a rustic studio and shoot BB guns when they’re not recording. Myths are made.

And this was how Jason Molina and Will Johnson recorded an album together. The two have something like 40 albums between them, from their solo albums to Molina’s work with Songs: Ohia and Magnolia Electric Co. and Johnson’s fronting Centro-matic and South San Gabriel. Molina & Johnson scratches an itch that neither artists’ main acts can reach, despite their diversity. It’s an austere work, rarely letting more than their voices and a few acoustic instruments in. But it works, and works very well, especially considering the often bombastic nature of their day jobs.

The rest of the review is here.

This post has been edited by Jason Panella: 03 November 2009 - 03:38 PM

[Cunningham]

Sounds awesome. I just have two albums from Will Johnson (Vultures Await and Love You Just the Same from Centromatic) and one from Molina, but I really like all three of those albums. I'm really interested to hear this.

[Jason Panella]

I'm really enjoying it. As I said in the review, I'm sure a lot of people — even fans of either artist — will find it a boring album. But it's just right for me. Easily one of my favorite albums this year.

[Kyle]

Here's the thread devoted to all things Jason Molina (Magnolia Electric Co., Songs: Ohia, Amalgamated Sons of Rest, uh, Jason Molina).

In honor of this release, emusic is having a sale on select Molina titles. This is a crazy good sale and I recommend anyone picking up what they're offering. Specifically, Didn't It Rain and the Songs: Ohia Magnolia Electric Co. album are outstanding.

As for this album, I'm downloading it as I write, so I have nothing to say.

[Kyle]

Pitchfork gives it a 5.1, which is mind-numbingly low. I think the reviewer fails to see the difference between stark and familiar verses boring and repetetive.

Is the album similar sounding throughout? Yes. It's dark. It's foreboding. There is a sense of doom that clouds the whole project. In the review a comparison is made between this album and a stretch of highway causes the feeling of endless time passing when in fact very little has moved. This, in my estimation, is a bad comparison. I've driven through long streches of road. It's the similarity of the scenery that allows the unique distinctives to popup and stand out, increasing the beauty all around. I think this is one of those records.

As should be expected, Jason and I are to be trusted here. This is a good record.

[Jason Panella]

Kyle, on 04 November 2009 - 08:16 AM, said:

Is the album similar sounding throughout? Yes. It's dark. It's foreboding. There is a sense of doom that clouds the whole project. In the review a comparison is made between this album and a stretch of highway causes the feeling of endless time passing when in fact very little has moved. This, in my estimation, is a bad comparison. I've driven through long streches of road. It's the similarity of the scenery that allows the unique distinctives to popup and stand out, increasing the beauty all around. I think this is one of those records.

Or, to spin the road comparison another way: there's a stretch of road I often drive to visit my girlfriend (she's in college about an 40 miles north of where I live), and there's a ten-mile strip of winding country road lined with tall, haunting trees. There are a few scrap yards and farms, and — especially at dusk — the road has a really chilling aspect to it. But not scary, and certainly not boring — there's something beautiful about it, something familiar yet distant, with nuances that lurk just beyond the similarity of some of the turns in the road. Now that it's autumn here, it's a pretty good parallel.

[Holy Moly!]

the lineup of backing musicians is just stellar too.

[Jason Panella]

Kevin, my advance copy has no liner notes. I know that Sarah Jaffe sings on a track, but am sort of clueless as to who else is on there.