Red House Painters

by Talha Kaya
(Turkey)

This is the front man Mark Kozelek's most successful band in my opinion.

They do acoustic and slow music that still can contain some tricky moves and excitement in it. His talent about expressing the dark sorrows can be experienced on this band's first three albums which are my favorites but the other three LP's and the EP are doing their jobs as well too.

Their first album called "Down Colorful Hill" is one of the greatest slow albums I have ever listened to, and maybe the best. The song "Medicine Bottle" can stand by itself as a masterpiece. The lyrics are so well thought and has a lot of inspiration in it.

Another song called "Michael" can make you cry every time. And especially on this song, you can feel Mark's singing full of deep sorrow.

The general type of a song on their first three albums, has lyrics on the first half of the song, and no lyrics but shouting, singing like "lalala" and sorrowful screams at the other half as the instruments change their forms and feelings too. This simple formula can make great, almost epic songs like "Katy Song", "Mother", "Funhouse" and a lot more. They are generally 10 minutes long and the formula really works great. As you finish the song, you are probably caught down by it.

As I talk about this band, I get very excited and want to listen more and more of their material, and that's the reason I started writing this with my low English skills! I think they are really underrated, I am the only one around my house that loves and shares their music. I don't think they have so many fans, but I think they really deserve more attention. Maybe Mark's new band Sun Kil Moon gets the real attention. What a great band name that is, isn't that? I think he saw this Asian wrestler named Sun Kil Moon and got it for the new band's name.

I should talk more about Red House Painters' work. There are two other masterpieces(in my opinion that is, of course) called "Red House Painters I"(The Rollercoaster) and "Red House Painters II"(The Brigde). I already talked about some songs from these albums. But I want some attention on this song called "Blindfold". That song is makes the greatest chaos atmosphere at the end. The most touching screams I've ever heard.

The EP called "Shock Me" has some cover songs, but they are really original covers, that really sounds like Red House Painters' unique way of creating music, not just copying the original versions. And about the three other LP's called "Ocean Beach", "Songs For a Blue Guitar" and "Old Ramon"; I think they are successful at what they are trying to do. They have this peaceful and old(forgive me for this word) feeling. Some songs always draw this picture to me, an old wise man watching the world from his small house, he is full of regrets and has so much experience about life.

The songs like "Have You Forgotten" and "A Song for a Blue Guitar" always remind me that scene. And there are exciting moments in these albums like crazy jazz solos on the song "Make Like Paper" and sad songs like "All Mixed Up". And there is this song I want to get attention, called "Summer Dress". This is a romantic song full of love and really touching my heart every time I listen to it. These three LP's are not my favorites, yet I think they have a big potential of having fans.

I just remembered a thing about them. They have really great covers on their albums which creates a death feeling. Pictures of just nature or abandoned roller coasters. That kind of stuff.

Just try out this acoustic and impressive music. I think you will find more than you expected.


Andrew Says:

Thanks for adding this to the site. You really went in-depth with your review of the band.

I really hope you contribute more bands in the future, because I can tell you really were genuine with this review.