Post by Taylor Bostock on Apr 29, 2015 13:41:16 GMT
Sun Kil Moon- Benji (2014)
genre: emo-folk, sadcore, slowcore, singer-songwriter.
To talk about this album means we need to talk about absolute tragedy. There is a point where we all deal with loss and everyone has their way coping with said loss. Be it a pet, a loved family member or a good friend suddenly biting the dust. Completely unexpected. Probably leaving you with the question everyone asks when facing this; "Why?"
In 2013 I lost my grandmother. And albeit she sometimes had a very venomous tongue and points of view that would completely turn that cozy sunday afternoon tea party into a war zone, We still loved her like you would love a grandmother. And i'm happy and proud to say the the good moments with her outweigh the bad ones. This album came out in 2014, a pretty tumultuous year with bitter family feuds, lack of motivation, absolute rage and distraught, the steady decline in connection between family we've known for years and the sudden connection to family that was utterly alien to us. it was surprising all of this happened after the demise of my grandmother. To this day it's still a wound that we are licking.
When Mark Kozelek decided to make this album. He decided to rake up his own past. And tells a story about family, friends, love, hate and especially death. the lyrics are as poetic as they are objective and blunt. But whatever it is it's still some of the most sincere, and relatable stories in music you might hear. especially if you live a life of never ending loss and tragedy, this record hits home. And even if you are spared that rocky road it will still tug your heartstrings pretty damn hard. for example, the song "truck driver" tells the story of one of kozeleks many uncles. one who died in a similar accident as his second cousin, explained on the opening track "carissa". And even though his uncle was a "redneck", as described by Kozelek himself, you wont hear one tone of abhorrence, only respect and love.
In some way or another all the songs all intertwine in this gorgeous and beautiful landscape of sounds and stories. All coming straight from his heart. If there is one thing i can't stress enough is the absolute and objective sincerity of his stories. A story that turns the state of Ohio, the state where he was born and raised, into a fantastical landscape of broken hearts and graveyards, filled to the brim with romanticism and truely magnificent storytelling. This doesn't mean he just tells stories that stay close to home, but also sings about unfair horrors that were brought upon innocent people. In the song "Pray for Newtown" he sings about all of the gruesome mass murders and shootings of recent history. including the Aurora shooting, and the mass murder of innocent youths on Utoya, Norway, caused by Anders Behring Breivik. and in the song "Richard Ramirez Died Today of Natural Causes" he sings about Richard Ramirez, probably America's scariest serial killer, and how even he can't outrun death.
In the end. Its a story where the sincere and loved are celebrated heroes. A story where he laments about the hearts he has broken and the ones that left him with the same problem. where villains are truly villains. And that the looming mortality of man can end one day on the other. But it doesn't mean this album is all doom and gloom. The eventual message i got from this was that, as long you are still breathing and have ambitions and dreams you have to pursue them until you literally drop dead, or circumstances don't allow you to do it anymore.
when in doubt, and the absolute sorrow of life is weighing down on my shoulders. i put on the song "I Watched the Film the Song Remains the Same" and i drown in the sound. And truly start appreciating the gift of mortality. and i sincerely hope you might be able to share the same feeling with me.
genre: emo-folk, sadcore, slowcore, singer-songwriter.
To talk about this album means we need to talk about absolute tragedy. There is a point where we all deal with loss and everyone has their way coping with said loss. Be it a pet, a loved family member or a good friend suddenly biting the dust. Completely unexpected. Probably leaving you with the question everyone asks when facing this; "Why?"
In 2013 I lost my grandmother. And albeit she sometimes had a very venomous tongue and points of view that would completely turn that cozy sunday afternoon tea party into a war zone, We still loved her like you would love a grandmother. And i'm happy and proud to say the the good moments with her outweigh the bad ones. This album came out in 2014, a pretty tumultuous year with bitter family feuds, lack of motivation, absolute rage and distraught, the steady decline in connection between family we've known for years and the sudden connection to family that was utterly alien to us. it was surprising all of this happened after the demise of my grandmother. To this day it's still a wound that we are licking.
When Mark Kozelek decided to make this album. He decided to rake up his own past. And tells a story about family, friends, love, hate and especially death. the lyrics are as poetic as they are objective and blunt. But whatever it is it's still some of the most sincere, and relatable stories in music you might hear. especially if you live a life of never ending loss and tragedy, this record hits home. And even if you are spared that rocky road it will still tug your heartstrings pretty damn hard. for example, the song "truck driver" tells the story of one of kozeleks many uncles. one who died in a similar accident as his second cousin, explained on the opening track "carissa". And even though his uncle was a "redneck", as described by Kozelek himself, you wont hear one tone of abhorrence, only respect and love.
In some way or another all the songs all intertwine in this gorgeous and beautiful landscape of sounds and stories. All coming straight from his heart. If there is one thing i can't stress enough is the absolute and objective sincerity of his stories. A story that turns the state of Ohio, the state where he was born and raised, into a fantastical landscape of broken hearts and graveyards, filled to the brim with romanticism and truely magnificent storytelling. This doesn't mean he just tells stories that stay close to home, but also sings about unfair horrors that were brought upon innocent people. In the song "Pray for Newtown" he sings about all of the gruesome mass murders and shootings of recent history. including the Aurora shooting, and the mass murder of innocent youths on Utoya, Norway, caused by Anders Behring Breivik. and in the song "Richard Ramirez Died Today of Natural Causes" he sings about Richard Ramirez, probably America's scariest serial killer, and how even he can't outrun death.
In the end. Its a story where the sincere and loved are celebrated heroes. A story where he laments about the hearts he has broken and the ones that left him with the same problem. where villains are truly villains. And that the looming mortality of man can end one day on the other. But it doesn't mean this album is all doom and gloom. The eventual message i got from this was that, as long you are still breathing and have ambitions and dreams you have to pursue them until you literally drop dead, or circumstances don't allow you to do it anymore.
when in doubt, and the absolute sorrow of life is weighing down on my shoulders. i put on the song "I Watched the Film the Song Remains the Same" and i drown in the sound. And truly start appreciating the gift of mortality. and i sincerely hope you might be able to share the same feeling with me.
LINK
https://mega.co.nz/#!k44BQJBR!noh2fr8dEo-qLGT0u4A2tCd3wKp5A3X_unoIlnLZKZw
