Jason Molina will never be accused of holding back. Through the years as Songs: Ohia and The Magnolia Electric Co, he has proven himself over and over again to be both a prolific songwriter and tireless performer, churning out a stream of excellent albums and perpetually on the road for what seems like 13 months of the year.Secretly Canadian
Hard to Love a Man is the third release for The Magnolia Electric Co this year. The title track is in my tops for the year's songs, pulled from What Comes After the Blues, one of my tops for this year's albums. Its mystery is both in the chilling lyrics and matching instrumentation: "It was hard to love a man like you" is open to interpretation as it's never explicitly disclosed whether it's a lover, relative, or other, and combined with the eerie pedal steel lead makes it both uncomfortable and gorgeous. Completing the release are four unreleased songs: three originals and the Warren Zevon classic "Werewolves of London," and whether they could have been outtakes or afterthoughts to this year's masterpiece is almost irrelevant, as they're all fantastic recordings that any fan would warmly welcome.
If there's any underlying theme, it's that the heavy emotions, bluesy guitars, and Molina's golden voice are accented by keyboard instruments more prominently than ever: the gorgeous piano opening on "Bowery," the classic organ on "31 Seasons in the Minor Leagues," and the unforgettable piano riff on "Werewolves in London."
I'm used to Molina's songs stretching for long periods of time, so this EP, if anything, comes as a surprise as it's a lot of short pieces. However, the EP a sweet trinket for fans and is spearheaded by a song that's already a classic.
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