Songs: Ohia – Farewell Transmission
Jason Molina’s passing earlier in the year was a helluva blow. Personally, I’d always hoped I’d get a chance to interview Molina to talk to him about his songwriting and his singular style. I won’t get that chance, but I will be able to continue to spread Molina’s music as long as I do this blog and the radio show. Magnolia Electric Co. was the final album for Molina’s Songs: Ohia, after this record he took the title as his own and used it as the name of his band. The sound of the album, released in 2003, marked a bit of a change in direction, from the more acoustic work of his first six or so albums, and the more electric sounds that marked the band Magnolia Electric Co. Molina’s prolific career was marked by a really high level of consistently incredible songwriting, and it’s quite possible that this record was his best. For the 10th anniversary edition, Secretly Canadian has added a second disc which just features Molina’s demos of these same tracks, likely recorded at home, on a four-track or maybe even on a tape-deck. They provide an interesting juxtaposition between the finished songs and the demos, as well as between the acoustic and electric leanings of Molina. “Farewell Transmission” is perhaps my favorite song on this album, one of my favorite song from Molina. What is even more striking about this recording is that apparently it was largely improvised on the spot in the studio. It makes it all the more stunning when you here the power in this performance. Talent like Molina’s will be sorely missed, but we should all be thankful that he recorded as much as he did and that he found his way to a label like Secretly Canadian who released it all.