Songs: Ohia - Impala

Impala, the fabled second Songs: Ohia full-length—originally released in 1998 and long out of print—will enjoy a vinyl reissue via Secretly Canadian this August. The release includes a remastered demo of “Tess,” originally recorded during the Impala sessions.

“Lorain, Ohio. It's a tough place to grow up. You either escape or you don’t. Given the industry that exists (or existed) there—the steel mill, Ford plant, and shipyard—the mix of people is like none other. One thing is for sure: it's blue collar through and through.

What’s this have to do with a new release from Songs: Ohia? Well, Jason—the main Songs man—like me, grew up in this godforsaken hole of a city. And as much as you might leave the city, it never really leaves you.

Impala offers further testament to the songwriting talents of Jason Molina. The tracks here provide a glimpse into the soul of a man burdened with exorcising the demons of life, loss, and subsistence. This isn’t something you can fake. It comes from growing up knowing that the factories your parents worked in aren’t an option for you—and that your only real chance is to try and get out (easier said than done).

Stripped down to just Jason and Geof Comings, the tracks on Impala are simultaneously the sparsest and most textured yet released by the band. Consider this one of the most honest and powerful entries in the Songs: Ohia catalog.

Our suggestion: head to the local Knights of Columbus, grab a seat at the bar, order a Genesee, and drink away your paycheck to this one. That’s what they’re doing in Lorain.”