Call No.: CD-ROCK RAP SUN ADMIRALFind it in the Catalog!
I am a big fan of Sun Kil Moon's previous albums, especially April. Mastermind Mark Kozelek makes really pretty, melancholy music that is tranquil enough to play as background music for a dinner party, but complex enough to warrant listening to with headphones on. Admiral Fell Promises is probably the barest and most delicate work by Kozelek yet. The first few times I listened to the record, I thought the album was beautiful but excessively chill. Then I turned up the volume about ten notches and was thoroughly impressed by Kozelek's guitar work and the album as a whole.
Admiral Fell Promises is a spare album; it's pretty much an hour of Kozelek's vocals and classical Spanish style guitar work. Kozelek plays alone (all alone). This sparsity makes the album perfect cold weather listening; in fact, it stayed in my car stereo pretty much all winter long. However, Kozelek does manages to incorporate some warmth and brightness into the album, particularly in the almost joyful "You are My Sun." So the album will probably hold up for some of the more bittersweet days of spring and summer too.
Standout tracks: "Ålsund", the aforementioned "You are my Sun," "Admiral Fell Promises," and closer "Bay of Skulls."
Recommended for fans of: Red House Painters, Jose Gonzalez, and the Kings of Convenience.
