Seven years after the death of 39-year-old Jason Molina (Magnolia Electric Co.), Secretly Canadian is releasing Eight Gates – a collection of his last solo recordings while living in London. According to an Eight Gates press release, Molina moved to London around 2006 or 2007 and while exploring the city, he learned of the seven gates in the London Wall, conjuring in his mind an eighth gate for himself. Album standouts include: the ghostly opening track “Whisper Away”; the stark “Shadow Answers the Wall”; the moody “Fire on the Rail”; the dark, forbidding track “Be Told the Truth”; and the beautifully melancholic “Thistle Blue.” Jason Molina’s Eight Gates release is only 25 minutes long, but the songs collected here kind of works as a bookend to his accomplished career. – Written by JFelton
SIMILAR | Bonnie Prince Billy, Vic Chesnutt, Damien Jurado, Magnolia Electric Co., Sun Kil Moon