Song of the Day 3/16: Magnolia Electric Co., “The Dark Don’t Hide It”
The best Americana singer-songwriter you never heard of, Jason Molina, died 12 years ago today of alcohol-induced organ failure at age 39. He was revered by his peers in the alt-country scene, many of whom, like Bonny “Prince” Billy, the Avett Brothers and My Morning Jacket, went on to the greater fame and fortune that Molina’s alcoholism denied him.
On first listen, Molina’s spare arrangements and wistful voice make him sound a lot like “After the Gold Rush”-era Neil Young. Most of his songs are colored by the depression that dogged him, and he was insanely prolific. Starting in 1996, he released 15 albums over a 12-year career, first as Songs: Ohia and later under his own name and with a band he assembled, the Magnolia Electric Co.
He was mercurial to a fault. He released the album “Magnolia Electric Co.” under the Songs: Ohia moniker and adopted it as the band’s name in the middle of the tour to support it. His band learned that only when they read about it in Pitchfork. He also treasured spontaneity. The first song on that 2003 LP, “Farewell Transmission,” was recorded in one take after he taught the band the chord changes and before they ever rehearsed it.
Many critics thought that album should have been Molina’s breakthrough, but impending success was his undoing. He started drinking before concerts, leading to ragged performances and cancelled shows. His 2005 album “What Comes After the Blues” contains the first song I ever heard by him, and it emphasizes both his sonic resemblance to Neil Young and his dark artistic vision.
Molina was in and out of rehab facilities for several years before he died, running up enormous medical bills in the process. Fellow musicians rallied to help by recording his songs, including a tribute double LP, “Farewell Transmission,” in 2014. Kevin Morby and his wife, Katie Crutchfield, who records as Waxahatchee, covered “The Dark Don’t Hide It” for release on Record Store Day in 2018.
