Nissan Sat Nav Update. More often than not, cover albums are awkward, artificial showpieces that reek of artistic hubris. Mark Kozelek’s The Finally LP falls outside of this definition, to an extent, because it was assembled as a compilation rather than a straightforward album: The sources are varied, ranging from unreleased tribute albums to a benefit record for the Minneapolis bridge collapse, and Kozelek’s selections, which tend toward the obscure, invariably settle into the web of his deceitfully simplistic sound. It speaks to how good he is at transforming other people’s work into something that resembles his own. Finally goes by surprisingly quick, which may suggest that the use of “LP” in the title is there to remind us that this is not, in fact, an EP.

Find a Mark Kozelek - The Finally LP first pressing or reissue. Complete your Mark Kozelek collection. Shop Vinyl and CDs. The Finally LP, a Compilation of songs by Mark Kozelek. Released December 9, 2008 on Caldo Verde (catalog no. Genres: Contemporary Folk, Acoustic Rock. The Finally LP is Kozelek's own tribute of sorts, a nod to his array of idols and influences. The title comes from a song by folk singer Kath Bloom. The Finally LP, a Compilation of songs by Mark Kozelek. Released December 9, 2008 on Caldo Verde (catalog no. Genres: Contemporary Folk, Acoustic Rock.

Kozelek also drops his Sun Kil Moon moniker, possibly as a nod to the more intimate nature of the album (it operates mostly on guitar with some piano, resulting in 10 songs that feel deep and guarded but also somewhat inconsequential) or perhaps simply a whim for a musician who wears band titles like some people do suits. Diamond Rush Java Game. Either way, intimate is a fitting description, though this spare sound leaves the album feeling strangely empty at times.

The songs may be simply constructed, but instrumental sparseness has always been indicative of Kozelek’s style. It also provides the locus on which the album’s most interesting quality hinges, offering a method to reverse-engineer Kozelek’s often reductive musical style. This style has changed little from the Red House Painters to Kozelek’s present material; he works in small, dense songs that seem bland and wispy until some real inspection is applied, at which point it becomes clear how full and complicated they actually are.

If nothing else, Kozelek’s covers provide a context for his sound and a contrast to his much larger original material. The most dramatic example is his version of Sondheim’s “Send In the Clowns,” which transforms magically from a tumid, schmaltzy number into a tiny kernel of sadness and longing. His treatment of Husker Du’s “Celebrated Summer” tamps down the brashness of the original but retains all of its feeling, albeit in a controlled, nearly invisible way. Light as it may feel, Finally provides a concrete diagram for what Kozelek has been doing for years: taking big songs and packing them into very small boxes. Donate Slant is reaching more readers than ever before, but advertising revenue across the Internet is falling fast, hitting independently owned and operated publications like ours the hardest. We’ve watched many of our fellow media sites fall by the way side in recent years, but we’re determined to stick around. We’ve never asked our readers for financial support before, and we’re committed to keeping our content free and accessible—meaning no paywalls or subscription fees.