Retrospective
In 1995, the label 4AD unceremoniously threw in the towel on Red House Painters and their tortured troubadour Mark Kozelek. As if to do penance for that move, they have blessed the devoted following of these brilliant mope rockers with this collection of hard-to-find and out-of-print tracks. The first disc of the set is a free-flowing montage of songs from the band's five 4AD releases that serves as an excellent greatest-hits collection, cataloging their slow-paced, shimmering guitar laments and exploring their heartbreakingly introspective style. With haunting reverb-laden atmospheres, epic song structures, and deeply personal lyrics, songs like "Rollercoaster" and "Summer Dress" alternately roar and recede as bewildered and lost protagonists wander through landscapes of evocative and sometimes nightmarish imagery. But alongside these dark ruminations are lighter moments, such as the sunny fade-out of "San Geronimo" and the tongue-in-cheekKisscover "Shock Me," that betray the band's awareness of their own dour pretensions and ability to explore a full emotional palette. As good as the first disc is, the real fire lies on the second disc, especially for long-suffering fans of the band. Twelve outtakes and two never-before-released songs of harrowing vulnerability showcase Kozelek's thematic takes on confession and catharsis, twin motifs that have always defined his songwriting. Some are ambitious, like the early recording "Roadkill," with its patient, complex song structure and long lyrical passages, while other songs are quiet wonders, like the acoustic renderings of "Japanese to English" and "Mistress," both songs tracing a desperate search for lovers just out of reach. Taken together, the two CDs offer a captivating emotional experience, a chronicle of rarely explored, grandiose themes and a well-done summation of a tragically underappreciated band's catalog.--Matthew Cooke