<p>That voice. Not to diminish Mark Kozelek’s prodigious gifts for arrangement and production, nor his tremendous guitar-playing, but the amber beauty and light-in-darkness of Sun Kil Moon’s gorgeous new offering, <cite>April</cite>, are carried primarily by Kozelek’s mournful tenor. Guest backup vocalists are well-used throughout, but <strong>Will Oldham</strong>’s characteristically lachrymose delivery on “Unlit Hallway” and “Like the River” is especially complementary; <strong>Ben Gibbard</strong> of Death Cab For Cutie and <strong>Eric Pollard</strong> of Retribution Gospel Choir also appear. Oldham’s presence is the first clue that <cite>April</cite> is a much darker endeavor than Sun Kil Moon’s last album of originals, 2003’s <cite>Ghosts Of The Great Highway</cite>: the minimal guitars and wearied vocals push haunting “Heron Blue” into murder-ballad territory, while elsewhere, extended song structures become relentless, almost bleak in their repetition. Epic-length tracks like “The Light” and “Tonight The Sky” show off the languid, ominous guitarwork that proves Kozelek the <strong>Neil Young</strong> acolyte he professes to be. While finding the lovely melody in the sadness has been Kozelek’s trademark since his first Red House Painters release, here the two are inseparable: the gloom is married to a vitality that carries throughout, underpinning the record’s dark tone to a haunted glory. <cite>April</cite> surges with the quiet, smoldering power of intimacy, of contrition, of longing – using a human voice to exhibit the resonance of melancholy, Sun Kil moon has created a document for the ages. (Anna)</p>2008-04-10T01:44:44-04:00sun-kil-moon-april1830852Music2008-04-10T01:44:44-04:00Sun Kil Moon: April2008-04-10T20:14:52-04:00Caldo Verde
That voice. Not to diminish Mark Kozelek’s prodigious gifts for arrangement and production, nor his tremendous guitar-playing, but the amber beauty and light-in-darkness of Sun Kil Moon’s gorgeous new offering, ??April??, are carried primarily by Kozelek’s mournful tenor. Guest backup vocalists are well-used throughout, but *Will Oldham*’s characteristically lachrymose delivery on “Unlit Hallway” and “Like the River” is especially complementary; *Ben Gibbard* of Death Cab For Cutie and *Eric Pollard* of Retribution Gospel Choir also appear. Oldham’s presence is the first clue that ??April?? is a much darker endeavor than Sun Kil Moon’s last album of originals, 2003’s ??Ghosts Of The Great Highway??: the minimal guitars and wearied vocals push haunting “Heron Blue” into murder-ballad territory, while elsewhere, extended song structures become relentless, almost bleak in their repetition. Epic-length tracks like “The Light” and “Tonight The Sky” show off the languid, ominous guitarwork that proves Kozelek the *Neil Young* acolyte he professes to be. While finding the lovely melody in the sadness has been Kozelek’s trademark since his first Red House Painters release, here the two are inseparable: the gloom is married to a vitality that carries throughout, underpinning the record's dark tone to a haunted glory. ??April?? surges with the quiet, smoldering power of intimacy, of contrition, of longing – using a human voice to exhibit the resonance of melancholy, Sun Kil moon has created a document for the ages. (Anna)
2008-04-10T01:44:44-04:00manual2273926582deny12CD116.991830852truetrue2CD2009-11-27T14:23:45-05:002008-04-10T01:44:44-04:003569302118308522008-04-10T20:14:52-04:00http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0000/4544/products/sun_3.jpg?1268275979