Old Ramon

by

Red House Painters

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Well, after 3 years it's finally out. Having been slipped a promo copy about a month ago I've had some time to form impressions of "Old Ramon" so here goes...

On first listen, long time RHP fans may find it hard to suppress their collective gag reflex at "Wop A Din Din" - Kozelek's tribute to his cat. If it weren't for the sheer earnestness of this song, it would certainly fall flat. It's definitely a catchy tune, and if you can stomach the fifth grade writing assignment lyrics you may like it a lot.

"Byrd Joel" is a breezy song that recalls some of the lighter moments on "Songs For A Blue Guitar". Lyrically, it's more obscure (in typical RHP fashion), but the beautiful guitar overdub textures and the hypnotic fuzz bassline will definitely draw you in.

"Void" is the first sign that this is indeed the same band that made "Down Colorful Hill". Here Kozelek's ruminations about a relationship are punctuated by little 80's-style lead guitar in the choruses. The combination works surprisingly well.

"Between Days" is by far the standout song on "Old Ramon". While the hook is hardly similar to that of "Make Like Paper" (on "Blue Guitar"), the song serves a similar purpose - to kick things up a notch. The interplay of overdriven guitar, slide guitar and harmonica is brilliant, and the lyrics really mesh with the tune to lend the song a sense of motion.

"Cruiser" is a low key ramble through the streets and highways of LA. Despite the fact that the windows are down and the stereo is blasting, the narrator and his companion are both quietly alone. Nobody writes a song like this better than Mark Kozelek.

"Michigan" seems to be a loose retread of the themes covered in "New Jersey", but with a fuller arrangement.

"River" is the closet thing to vintage Red House Painters to be found on "Old Ramon", with its epic length and chilling, sparse bass and drums. For me, this song comes up a little bit short because it lacks the lyrical sting of earlier efforts. Kozelek's great gift as a lyricist is that he seems able to sing things that most people would regret saying later, and this quality seems to be largely absent here.

"Smokey" is a fine song, and the version on "Old Ramon" is very well executed, but it lacks the intimacy of the demo version (featured on the first Shanti Project compilation). The nylon string guitar and lack of drums on the demo seem better suited to the melancholy subject matter, but it's interesting to compare the two.

"Golden" is intriguing. Written shortly after the death of John Denver, this song conveys both Kozelek's admiration of and contempt for his inspiration. It's a deceptively powerful little tune, and it's nice that it was left as a simple acoustic number. It could have easily collapsed under the weight of an elaborate arrangement.

"Kavita" is a fitting closer, reminding us that as grown up as we may think we are, we're still the same girls and boys that congregated on opposite sides of the gym at the dance.

Is this the epic masterpiece I was waiting for? No, it is not. However, "Old Ramon" is a fine album, and when it is judged on its own merits rather than compared to the hype and anticipation which have surrounded it, this becomes apparent. The same goes for comparing this to the Red House Painters' early work. There is no equivalent to "Mistress" or "24" on "Old Ramon", but that doesn't mean there are no equally powerful moments on it.