Under the Covers

Singer and songwriter Mark Kozelek, most famous for his bands Red House Painters and Sun Kil Moon, has delivered radiant acoustic guitar ballads with profound, heartbreaking lyrics. His ghostly voice sings melodies that float over the music. He is an intuitive and insightful songwriter who has a firm grasp on his craft. There is a stunning emotional depth to his material, it is evocative and sentimental.

Kozelek has a gift for covers. In particular, he has a knack for taking a rock song and re-imagining it and striping it down to an acoustic version that brings out the poignancy in the lyrics. The songs are often drastically re-interpreted and sung at a different pace, turning upbeat rhythmic songs into delicate acoustic ballads. First, he released What's Next to the Moon, which was an album made up entirely of Bon Scott-era AC/DC covers. Then he released an album entitled Tiny Cities which was made up of 11 Modest Mouse covers taken from all of their albums up until Good News for People Who Love Bad News. Tiny Cities produced this gem:

Sun Kil Moon - Neverending Math Equation

I absolutely love this rendition of the Modest Mouse song. Completely different than the original, it works as a standalone. A soothing work with beautiful melodies. I especially like the ending, with finger-picking guitar and change of tempo. Perfect for a solo drive on the highway with the windows down.