One of the great tragedies in the world of indie rock is the early passing of Jason Molina, who died at the age of 39 in 2013 of complications related to alcoholism. The posthumous new solo album Eight Gates is composed of songs recorded in 2009 a year before Molina would basically walk away from music as he was consumed by his addiction. Save for his 2012 solo album Autumn Bird Songs – recorded at an earlier date than its release – this collection is one of Molina’s final recordings and features some of his darkest folk ruminations.
The songs on Eight Gates are mostly composed of single lyrical verses that feel more like poetic musings than the vivid and sprawling writing Molina was known for in his main bands Songs: Ohia and Magnolia Electric Co. With most of the songs on the album coming in around the two-minute mark, there is a sense of the music being unfinished, as if Molina was recording demos with the intention of building on the foundations of the songs at some later date. Opening track “Whisper Away” begins with the peaceful sounds of birds chirping before an ominous cello and organ comes in alongside Molina’s pained, ghostly vocals. The song is more of a mood piece, with minimal lyrics. The bird sounds return at various interludes throughout the album, possibly referencing the green parrots Molina claimed to have fed in his backyard in London around the time of the recording. “Shadow Answers the Wall” continues in a dark vein with gothic imagery wrapped within the lyrics and a bass-heavy soundtrack that feels like the marrying of stripped down folk and industrial. While the song references sorrow, the lyrics are cryptic like many on this album, seemingly alluding to Molina’s own troubles. “The Mission’s End” features simple acoustic strumming, showcasing the vulnerability and pain in Molina’s fragile vocals. One of the most haunting moments on the album comes in “She Says,” which opens with a prophetic snippet of Molina talking about death before launching into a dark folk meditation that seems to reflect on his struggle to maintain a normal relationship with his wife.
“Thistle Blue” is one of the longer tracks on the album, unfolding in a dirge-like tone with synth, guitar and cello as Molina ponders his own heartbreak and layers in the symbolism of “cat tail and copper eye” to reference mysterious uncertainty. The final track on the album, “The Crossroad + The Emptiness,” seems to reference his own uncertain future and what he must have been thinking at the time as he sings, “I feel the dread as you read my palms.”
With its minimal instrumentation and bare, veiled lyrics, Eight Gates feels less like a complete record than a part of the creative process that would have ultimately resulted in a more realized collection of songs. In this sense, it doesn’t stack up to the same artistic level as any album from Songs: Ohia, Magnolia Electric Co., or even Molina’s 2012 solo album. Instead, it provides a fleeting final snapshot of an artist who was broken and seeking reflection on his sick and troubled state of being. For longtime fans of Molina, Eight Gates offers a sense of closure and insight on where he was artistically and mentally during the last years of his life.
Photo credit: Christopher Bennett
