While the saying "Never judge a book by its cover" is usually true, the cover of the new Songs: Ohia album is a perfect representation of the contents that are held within. Ghost Tropic's cover is completely black with the exception of the title in white. The songs contained on this album are dark dirges of complete and utter melancholy, but there is a brightness that tries to fight with great futility to the surface of each of the songs.
Songs: Ohia
Ghost Tropic
Secretly Canadian Records
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Ghost Tropic is the logical extension of Songs: Ohia's last album, The Lioness. The lyrics once again delve into the depths of loneliness and fractured loves that fuel singer-songwriter Jason Molina's life. The misery of each song is rendered with an economy of words that is heartbreaking.
While lyrically the songs tend to get sparser and more emotionally powerful with each album, the music tends to become fuller and more mature. On this album, Molina's quiet acoustic guitar is joined by the sounds of a piano and various percussive instruments including church bells and a xylophone. Yet the most powerful instrument on the album is Molina's emotion-ridden voice, which can speak more pain and suffering than any lyric can.
The album opens with "Lightning Risked it All," which contains instrumentation that reminds one of the songs found on Tom Wait's Swordfishtrombone or Rain Dogs. From there, each song slowly unveils itself.
"The Body Burned Away" is the most musically full song on the album with its piano work, chiming bells and soft percussion. On the album, there are two instrumental title tracks which contain the sound effects of chirping birds that rest upon the music base of a slide guitar and a slowly beating drum. The twelve-minute "Not Just a Ghost's Heart" is one of Molina's most unusual songs with its pounding backbeat and moody sounds.
In the end, Ghost Tropic is Songs: Ohia's most accomplished work and is worthy of a listener's time.
