Hecla & Griper

About

An artist’s early works often capture an innocence that can't be regained after years of experience, as the poet William Blake could surely attest. This 1997 EP was a sign for those who paid attention to the self-titled debut album that Songs: Ohia would be a serious ongoing concern for one Jason Molina and whomever he chose to support him. It sounds much closer to the work Molina would do in the following years than the work he'd just done. Before his March 2013 death, Molina had been working with the label Secretly Canadian to issue this 15th-anniversary edition, along with other reissues. These were sad, forlorn songs even before Molina's death, but their beauty remains intact. “East Last Heart,” “Reply & Claim,” “Advice to Aces," and Conway Twitty’s “Darling…” were harrowing experiences upon their initial release. The additional four bonus tracks—including versions of “Hearts Newly Arrived” and “One of Those Uncertain Hands,” which later appeared on <i>Impala</i>—fill out our knowledge of this era in an important musical artist’s life.

via Apple Music

The Clerk says

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