Mark Kozelek // Mark Kozelek

Mark Kozelek

Mark Kozelek

Caldo Verde Records

3/5 Stars

Following his work with The Red House Painters and Sun Kil Moon through the 2000s, Mark Kozelek began making variations of the same record around 2015. His magnum opus, Benji, combined the songwriter's gorgeous guitar work with a known knack for intimate and detailed storytelling, effectively opening the floodgates to a brand new version of Kozelek, strictly focused on journal entries, spoken word interludes and a general stream-of-conscious delivery. It's interesting, then, that this is the album he chose to self-title, as nothing truly sets Mark Kozelek apart from most post-Benji releases. At nearly 90 minutes long, its average song length is eight minutes. Throughout, Kozelek delivers stories and sentiments both meaningful and vapid (often within the same track), humorous (the astonishing "diarrhea" chant at the end of "The Mark Kozelek Museum") and depressing ("The Banjo Song"). Simply put, those who are familiar with Kozelek's shtick will already know how they'll feel about this album, and there's not a lot of room for a lukewarm response. Still, Mark Kozelek is decidedly leaner than its predecessor and decidedly focused on its beautiful, minimalist arrangements. — Aaron Mook