For someone who could barely get round to releasing a new album every couple of years when with Red House Painters, Mark Kozelek has become prolific since starting his own label. In 2008 alone we had a new Sun Kil Moon album...with a bonus cd, a live EP, a book...with a bonus cd and now this collection of rarities.
'The Finally LP', mysteriously named since it is only released on cd and download, is bookended by two original instrumentals, all the songs in between are solo covers collected from various compilations Kozelek has appeared on through the years.
Highlights include a version of Low's 'Lazy' with passionate vocals and a lovely rendition of Kath Bloom's 'Finally' which sounds like a song from Sun Kil Moon's 'Tiny Cities' album. A stripped down version of 'Send In The Clowns' is Kozelek by numbers and less essential, as is the short, self-explanatory 'Bedtime Lullaby'. The instrumentals are both pretty and their guitar-picking sound will be familiar to anyone who has attended a solo Kozelek gig.
The overall feel of this record is a warm, laid back sound. The songs fit together reasonably well, despite being recorded at different times for different projects. This is, however, a full price release and paying £13 (as I did from a UK indie shop) for 30 minutes of music, most of which has been released before, is a big ask for anyone who isn't a Kozelek completist. A nice listen but not essential.
6/10
['The Finally LP' is out now on cd and download from Caldo Verde. UK fans are best advised to buy direct from the record company, as the price works out cheaper.]
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