Moments pass, Molina forgets

The Midwest collective led by singer-songwriter Jason Molina, Songs: Ohia, speak softly. Eschewing the bombastic heartland country-rock of Mellencamp, the group sounds like Gram Parsons dying up at Joshua Tree after his lethal dose. It's death, man. Song titles like "John Henry Split My Heart" and "Just Be Simple" point to dire consequences and troubling choices that Molina would rather just not face. Of course, all of this pompous self-importance (and self-degradation) can be a bit much. The cover art of an owl with a tear rolling down its face is a laughable heart-on-sleeve moment. Songs: Ohia is constantly going for the classic, epochal rock song on The Magnolia Electric Co. by reiterating soft guitar melodies and Molina pushing his restrained delivery just up to a whine for extended lengths of time. What Songs: Ohia has proved to be good at is consistent mood, so problems arise when Molina's vocals are replaced by a Tim McGraw-sound-alike and then a woman on "Old Black Hen" and "Peoria Lunchbox Blues," respectively. With the tracks placed side by side right in the middle of the album, it disrupts another fine, cold, country night setting by Songs: Ohia.