Trials & Errors in Bloomington, MN

Trials & Errors
was recorded at a live show one night in Brussels in 2003, shortly after
Jason Molina
had put
Songs: Ohia
to rest. Drawing upon the talents of
Pete Schreiner
(drums),
Mike Kapinus
(bass and trumpet), and
Jason Groth
(guitar),
Molina
(providing second guitar and vocals) pieced together
Magnolia Electric Co
to further explore his
country-rock
side. With this rhythm section,
is the perfect extension for
to grow and expand his
-- the basslines flow melodically against the plucking and strumming of the guitars, while the drums lay down a backbone. One can hear the influence of
Neil Young
all over
with its loose, raw guitars and dark, melancholic vibe of vocals and lyrics all placed in a live setting. There are many rewarding moments throughout
, mainly as a result of the addition of the powerful rhythm section -- the opener,
"The Dark Don't Hide It,"
blasts open the record, while the
tune,
"Almost Was Good Enough,"
has more punch and depth than the original. The hat must be tipped to
, as they let the songs breathe and become bigger than the band to a haunting effect.
seems to have grown as a singer as well, which is evident on the
tracks
"Ring the Bell"
and
"Cross the Road."
In the live setting and with a strong band backing him,
's vocals are stronger and mix the stylings of
Will Oldham
Damien Jurado
, displaying a sense of longing and despair. The only shortfall that could be noted is that
is a touch long, clocking in at 72 minutes, but fans of
, along with the audience, who you can tell had a wonderful time at this show, will feel that this is a bonus. Thankfully,
Secretly Canadian
knows that
, with its old
covers, upcoming release tunes, and tracks that are unique to this disc, is a good way to hold fans' appetite for
's studio debut in spring of 2005. ~ David Serra