POST NO. 10: WHAT COMES AFTER VACATION?

I'm back in the saddle again after a wonderful vacation. Believe it or not, I did NO record shopping on this trip out east, despite spending a couple days in Asheville, North Carolina, which I would highly recommend visiting if you haven't been there. I've got a sunburn to nurse, a couple hundred e-mails to sort through, and a cat that needs some attention.

Thanks for the kind words in my absence. I'm glad to be home again...and to welcome me (and you) back, here's a clip from Magnolia Electric Co.'s newest record, What Comes After the Blues. Magnolia Electric Co. frontman Jason Molina really reminds me of Bruce Springsteen; he's got The Boss' knack for both a simpleton appearance and a smalltown pathos. And like Springsteen, Molina makes up for any height disadvantages with a deep well of a soul and an appreciation for rock and roll's roots.

But I'm done blowing hot air up Molina's tailpipe; the truth is that I really wanted to like What Comes after the Blues every bit as much as I liked Molina's last studio album with a full band (and his last as Songs: Ohia), Magnolia Electric Co. I spent hours wandering alone on the train tracks with this album in my iPod. But damn it if I couldn't find it in me to like this new one as much as his last. Curse Molina for setting the bar so damn high.

Molina has finally settled on a backing band -- his own Crazy, Heartbreakin', E-Street, Bullet Band -- and the lineup carried over from Magnolia to Blues. These cats can play, knowing when to squeal and when to hush, never stepping on the toes of Molina's emotive, warbling voice. The main ingredient that's missing on Blues is a cupboard full of exceptional tunes. Sure, we get the bluesy brawn of "The Dark Don't Hide It," the ramshackle folk of "Northstar Blues," and the shuffling, heartbroken soul of "Leave the City." And Molina is still penning those memorable one-liners, the kind that ring true in a "well, duh" sorta way, but are poignant nonetheless. (He reminds me of Townes Van Zandt in this respect. And I consider that a high compliment.) But, there's no song on Blues that resonates as loudly as "Hang on Magnolia" or "I've Been Riding with the Ghost" from his previous album. I suppose that means that Molina isn't perfect, which sure does fit his persona to a T. I should probably just stop my bitching and quit searching out the faults.

Magnolia Electric Co. - "Leave the City"

Visit Molina and Co. at their home on the range, where you can download bootlegs of various live shows and swap them with your friends just as if you were fans of Dylan or the Dead! Visit the site of their exceptional label, Secretly Canadian, for some more tunes from this record.

And one last thing: I'm removing the link to the mp3s from my first 9 posts shortly...so if you haven't listened to those tunes yet, hurry up slowpoke!