The Lioness

It's absolutely astonishing how you can be on top of your game in every sense of the word, and then autumn comes and on the second day, it hits your chest with all the feelings of anxiousness, melancholy, and inadequacy and such.

Part of that "and such" gang is The Lioness by Jason Molina AKA Songs: Ohia AKA whatever the hell alias he went by at that time. By this point, Jason polished his sound so much, that you can see your own crying face on the atoll on the cover.

Jokes aside, the album sounds much more rich and fuller than any of his previous albums. The lyrical content is much more digestible and easier to understand than the previous civil war metaphors he employed. And most important, it's consistent enough to be enjoyable all throughout. The first half, 1-5, is obviously better, but 6-9 is an honest surprise every time I listen to it. Short and to the point, with no whacking around the bush.

I really liked this. To the commenter who said that they felt a similarity to Arab Strap; they played on this album, so that makes sense.

Loved the atmosphere, the sound was nice, but i failed to lock in to get what was on offer.

This was boring as hell. The best part was when it was over.

You feeling okay after this one?

The Lioness hit me harder than almost anything I’ve heard in years. Forty minutes in and it felt like this record carved out a permanent space.

The recording is so pure you can hear fingers on strings, every drum tap puts you in the room. Jason Molina sounds three feet away, working through wreckage in real time, and somehow it becomes yours too. Andy Miller's production is raw but full, stripped down but complete. Nothing is polished. Nothing is hidden. It’s intimate to the point of feeling a little dangerous.

That's what took me by surprise mostly: how un-American this album feels for an American songwriter. The last band that touched me like this was Arab Strap, and the overlap is clear. It's the same emotional directness, the same sense that someone is telling you the truth. Desolate, yes. But not hopeless. It made me want to hug someone I love, remind me that connection still matters even when everything else is gone.

I don’t really know what to do with this album yet. It left me almost in tears, and that doesn’t happen often anymore. But I know it’s one I’ll carry with me.

Turns out Aquaman is a pretty good musician.

This album is like dark alt country/blues? Similar vein to MJ Lenderman or Bill Callahan (we had one of his albums on the 1001 list) or Bonnie "Prince" Billy (also had an album on the 1001 list). Almost like doom country. A unique genre of music that I have very little exposure to, but like quite a bit. I will have to explore it more.

Favorite songs: Tigress, The Black Crow, Lioness

Least favorite songs: Baby Take a Look

3/5

I think this was a more even experience, but had lower highs compared to Magnolia Electric Co. Rock solid either way.

Found this one a bit dull and boring.

Brilliant