Red House Painters

The palpable sadness that forms the heart of most every Red House Painters song is precisely what makes each of them ineffably beautiful, haunting, and compelling. Mark Kozelek uses his music as a means of emotional purging, turning his own raw feelings into delicately arranged songs that reveal his often dispirited mental state. Weaving sparse, hushed acoustics with minimal piano playing, weary, down-tempo drumming and Kozelek's own sullen, introspective vocals, songs are confessional pieces that subtly convey emptiness and express melancholy. It's ironic that such lovely songs can possess such disquietingly somber feelings.