Songs: Ohia Impala

Impala, the fabled second Songs: Ohia full-length, originallyreleased in 1998 and long out-of-print, will enjoy a vinyl reissueby Secretly Canadian this August. This release includes theaddition of a remastered demo of 'Tess' originally capturedduring recording sessions for Impala."Lorain, Ohio; it's a tough place to grow up. You either escape oryou don't. Given the industry that exists (or existed) there - thesteel mill, Ford plant, and shipyard - the mix of people is likenone other. One thing is for sure though, it's blue collar throughand through. What's this have to do with a new release fromSongs: Ohia? Well, Jason - main Songs man, like myself, grewup in this god-forsaken hole of a city and as much as you canleave the city, it never leaves you.Impala offers further testament to the songwriting talents ofJason Molina. The tracks contained herein offer a glimpse intothe soul of a man burdened with trying to exorcise the demonsof life, loss, and subsistence. This isn't something one can fake. Itcomes from growing up with the knowledge that the factoriesyour parents worked in are not an option for you and that youronly real option is to try and get out (easier said than done).Pared down to only Jason and Geof Comings for this release, thetracks on Impala are simultaneously the sparsest and mosttextured yet to be released by the band. Consider this to be theone of the most honest and strongest releases from Songs:Ohia. Our suggestion: Head to the local Knights of Columbus,grab a seat at the bar, order a Genesee, and drink away yourpaycheck to this one. That's what they're doing in Lorain."