The ever prolific and incredibly gifted Mark Kozelek (Red House Painters) has released his sixth studio album as Sun Kil Moon, Benji. The eleven predominantly acoustic tracks feature guitar and Kozelek’s plaintive vocals, with Steve Shelley (Sonic Youth) on occasional drums and Will Oldham (Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy) on backing vocals. In contrast to the title’s happy-go-lucky stray dog namesake (Benji of the 1974 film), the collection of songs are dark, in a very matter of fact way. Jam-packed with vivid autobiographical details of tragedy (deaths of a second cousin and uncle), awkward sexual encounters, aging, and familial and platonic relationships, the songs take on a stream of consciousness quality, weaving in and out themes and gliding across the boundaries of song structure. While a unique listen, Benji is definitely a worthwhile one for Kozelek fans. – Written by SMarx
SIMILAR | Idaho, Damien Jurado, Mark Kozelek, Magnolia Electric Co., Red House Painters, Neil Young