Red House Painters: Mark Kozelek (vocals); Gorden Mack (guitar); Jerry Vessel (bass); Anthony Koutsos (drums). Includes liner notes by Rob O' Condor. Mark Kozelek has a knack for writing songs that capture the fading, sepia-tinted hope of adolescence with so much insight that they can be physically painful to hear. Originally recording for the ultra-hip English 4AD label, his Red House Painters were often too introspective for mainstream commercial acceptance. But the songs collected on RETROSPECTIVE, a two-disc collection of LP tracks, demos, live versions, and outtakes dating from the band's tenure with the label, more than make the case for Kozelek as one of the great singer/songwriters of his generation. The first disc covers LP tracks and includes such jaw-droppers as "Grace Cathedral Park," "New Jersey," "Medicine Bottle," Kozelek's painful ode to dying love, and "Michael," a gorgeous song about the memory of an old friend. The second disc consists of rarities. Standouts include the sinewy and uneasy "Waterkill," an in-studio radio show version of "Mistress," and an extraordinary live solo rendition of "Japanese To English" that instills such lyrics as "a million miles away from home / and 15 from a pay phone" with even more isolation into than one might have thought possible. Do yourself a favor and buy RETROSPECTIVE. You owe this band your support.

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Red House Painters: Mark Kozelek (vocals); Gorden Mack (guitar); Jerry Vessel (bass); Anthony Koutsos (drums). Includes liner notes by Rob O' Condor. Mark Kozelek has a knack for writing songs that capture the fading, sepia-tinted hope of adolescence with so much insight that they can be physically painful to hear. Originally recording for the ultra-hip English 4AD label, his Red House Painters were often too introspective for mainstream commercial acceptance. But the songs collected on RETROSPECTIVE, a two-disc collection of LP tracks, demos, live versions, and outtakes dating from the band's tenure with the label, more than make the case for Kozelek as one of the great singer/songwriters of his generation. The first disc covers LP tracks and includes such jaw-droppers as "Grace Cathedral Park," "New Jersey," "Medicine Bottle," Kozelek's painful ode to dying love, and "Michael," a gorgeous song about the memory of an old friend. The second disc consists of rarities. Standouts include the sinewy and uneasy "Waterkill," an in-studio radio show version of "Mistress," and an extraordinary live solo rendition of "Japanese To English" that instills such lyrics as "a million miles away from home / and 15 from a pay phone" with even more isolation into than one might have thought possible. Do yourself a favor and buy RETROSPECTIVE. You owe this band your support.