Songs: Ohia

For each album of his Songs: Ohia project, Jason Molina works spontaneously and with a different group of musicians; his sound continues to change even as his songwriting solidifies into a singular voice. Didn’t It Rain was recorded as purely as possible — live, band within arms' reach of each other, no overdubs, sharing microphones — and its intimacy is palpable. Didn’t It Rain sounds like some of Molina’s earlier, more angular and frantic records on their deathbed — struggling with choices made, weighing good and evil, resigning themselves to a last gasp, but ultimately accepting the journey that brought them to this point. Similar in feel to last year’s Ghost Tropic, Didn’t It Rain doesn’t seem like such a leap into the unknown, but more pages in this chapter of Molina’s dream journal. He’s proved himself remarkable prolific, tossing off great records with an effortless shrug, untethered to a specific sound, feel, band or vision. It makes each one exciting, leaving you breathlessly anxious to take the next step.