71. Jesu/Sun Kil Moon - “Good Morning My Love”

I feel like the style of Sun Kil Moon’s music has turned into a highly contested subject, like someone walking into a gathering and immediately shouting something political in nature like “ban all of the guns!” The people listening are either going to intensely agree or disagree with what they’re hearing. There’s rarely an in between, and the same goes for Sun Kil Moon’s most recent releases. You either love the straightforward conversational and poetic style of his stream of consciousness delivery, or you absolutely loathe it and think that it is some of the most boring, monotonous and bland music to ever hit the scene.

As you’ve probably already guessed, I belong to the party in favor of this new style. First and foremost I am a fan of lyrical content. It’s what I’m drawn to whenever I listen to music, so I can’t help but enjoy a style of delivery that puts an emphasis on the lyrics, especially when it comes from an artist like Mark Kozelek, who speaks authentically and uninhibitedly from the heart. I’m a fan of the man behind the music, and so I love the opportunity of being able to climb into his head. I relate to many of his sentiments, and even when I don’t, I respect and appreciate his frank yet philosophical musings and opinions. He’s full of passion, and communicates that passion without a filter. It simply pours out of his soul and into the listener, and its both a beautiful and intimate experience to witness. Its like listening to short (and sometimes not so short) vignettes. He opens up windows into not only himself, but into the world as a whole. You glimpse characters differently than how you might normally see them when on your own. You hone in on certain qualities, traits, words, and even objects that to you might have seemed innocuous, but to him suddenly assume overwhelming significance. You start seeing beauty and meaning in the simplicity of life. The dreary mundanities of existence gain new depth, and so do you in the process.