Sun Kil Moon - Benji ALBUM REVIEW

[@IveGotToast]

The George RR Martin of songwriting. I mean that in all the characters die, and it's extremely detailed.

[@MrBeastknows]

No.

[@IveGotToast]

Shane Benjamson Well if you say so.

[@kentuckythunderpussy]

but if it takes dying to truly live.. maybe Benji's about birth?

[@zuesunleashed]

he isn't an awful writer, that's ridiculous.

[@MichaelJimenez416]

Ha! Neat comparison. I would say the difference is that Martin details the gruesome, physical ways in which people die, whereas Kozelek details the monotonous--almost unrelated while simultaneously shockingly meaningful--details which usually go unnoticed.

[@LourdeRasputin]

I went to school with Carissa's Daughter Sydney. it was such a crazy time, i remember Sydney telling me about this album and then looking for it and just crying over the song he had written for Carissa. I couldn't imagine being 16-17 and going through something as tragic as that.

[@gnalkhere]

As soon as I first heard those first 6 notes on Carissa I knew I wanted in on the whole album

[@norlanderduwallis9074]

dialF4flipit same here. that song is hauntingly personal even though I've never lost a close family member.

[@Caligula138]

Richard Ramirez Died Today Of Natural Causes is one of the best song titles.

[@Contributron]

The first time I saw that title I laughed. Then I heard the song. Now that title gives me chills. Richard Ramirez murdered a bunch of people and had the whole country in fear, but even a seemingly inhuman monster like him couldn’t evade his own death. Brilliant.

[@Tiki-dg8qk]

Agreed.

[@dande5009]

Great title and an even better song

[@Giuseppe_f1n]

Sounds like a post rock song title

[@whitecountryoldroad]

The Pitchfork live version of the song is completely amazing, you should check it out

[@303kbps]

panera bread

[@BanjoMat88]

you sir, are amazing

[@kentuckythunderpussy]

sports bar shit

[@R3N3x13]

超音波 5 Guys burgers?

[@somekid7]

blue crabcakes

[@heybigboy5248]

And we laughed and it was alright

[@bewareoftheginge]

The word I didn't hear you say in this review (although I may be wrong) is 'sincere'. It is painfully sincere. I really feel in a time that seems obsessed with a need for irony or sarcasm or metaphor, hearing something so.....unbelievably.....sincere is important and refreshing in the most guttural way possible. For me, it's genuinely difficult to listen to. And I love it for that.

[@ListenToBigFace]

Pretentious dickhead

[@83rdgec17]

Pretentious dickhead

[@nothingmatters298]

1:37

[@twistedganondorf]

I honestly feel sorry for you if you don't like this album

[@rigbypa]

I honestly feel sorry for you if you feel sorry for anyone for having a different opinion other than your own.

[@twistedganondorf]

***** not what I mean...

[@Yoshimitsu4prez]

TG i hate it, it just sounds awkward

[@gtheg130]

+4thwonder when u nod you head yes but u wanna say noooo

[@twistedganondorf]

+4thwonder I'm sorry that other people dislike something I think is so great

[@Contributron]

This album is fucking incredible. Carissa is one of the best album openers of all time. I could rant for hours about this album.

[@featherycoffee1401]

Please do, that would be very very interesting

[@caldwell9-0]

fr i litterally could talk for hours abt this album, and i consider my self a hip hop head lol

[@binsbein]

she loved the garden, and its budding rosebush

[@ballysham10]

I can be on a bus or at work and to this day I still well up with tears when he sings that line.

[@antonsilva2003]

What a song 💔💔

[@fluidpower43]

Benji is one of my favorite album's so far in ought 14. Living in Ohio and hearing all the towns referenced that I live close to makes the album even more personal for me. It makes the lyrics more relate-able.

[@spiderpigforlife1632]

This review turned me on to what's now one of my favorite albums of all time. Thank you.

[@Kristeninblack]

There's something altogether familiar, disquieting, and peaceful about this album. There are these grand testaments to ordinary folk and the choices they made in life, operating fluidly along side the immutable fact of their mortality. Its tragic and sad but the instrumentation and the timbre of Mark's voice are reflective of calm and beauty. Its almost like a quiet resignation, an acceptance of the things that life throws in our paths, how we adapt to it, and how we carry a little bit of it every day we live. I think its a little impossible not to relate, almost like Sun Kil Moon is simply telling you a story by the fire place late into the night. Some of my personal favorite moments that really resonate are when he states that he'll carry melancholy throughout his life, its a part of who he is, and he's deeply affected by those who have come and gone out of his life. I can most certainly relate. Its one of my albums of the year as well. And like you said, I think it will act a spring board to his other work. I'll start back at Ghosts of the Great Highway and go from there.

[@FleegalFlargel]

You chose that thumbnail to scare people, didn't you, you naughty man.

[@steadyrhythms9571]

first listened to this about a month ago, and to be completely honest i haven’t felt the same since.

[@shamus8687]

It gets even better with time.

[@hockeylife141]

I gave this a 10/10 on MC. Micheline, Carissa, Ben's My Friend. Just fantastic. Micheline, though. Easily, for me, the strongest song on the album.

[@norlanderduwallis9074]

@@trendybistro disagree

[@jakobsanchez738]

I cry every time he sings about Brett.

[@driftingthroughthisplace5898]

Micheline was extremely sad, but I’d definitely give the saddest song to I Watched the Film the Song Remains the Same. Perfectly portrays the passing of time, and how humans carry their guilt throughout their lives. Such a heartbreaking song.

[@christianlesurfmusic]

That piano on Micheline, Christ.

[@joeboonmusic4004]

@@driftingthroughthisplace5898 100% agree with you there. That bit where he talks about the guilt that he carries for hitting that kid at school has always 'eaten' him always gets me.

[@ynyienae]

God this album made me cry. like 5 times. I was emotionally exhausted by track 5 and numb by track 6. Enjoyed it. Will listen again. Thanks Anthony!

[@biggestfanofroger]

I think this is Anthony's best review. He has really grasped what this album is about

[@mleit5]

I’ve been so fucking depressed during the quarantine and I just started getting into this album and now I am even more fucking depressed....

[@michaelalexander3001]

You were right about this being a "Gateway-Drug-Album". I'm a new Mark Kozelek fan.

[@000blocks000]

Same here. “Ben’s My Friend” came on randomly on a Spotify radio and I dug this album whole heartily.

[@michaelalexander3001]

@@000blocks000 7 years later, still a fan.

[@SamWesKidwell]

I can't quit singing out "My grandma my grandma". His songs are oddly catchy.

[@theneedledrop]

agreed.

[@gsamsa]

theneedledrop rmeber when you actually reviewed good albums.

[@verkenderkraftwerk2]

This album was the only thing I could really give a 10/10 in years. I think its Mark's best release ever. I've never become more emotional over an album before. I know it back to front by this point.

[@jada489]

The song Jim Wise, just wow

[@futuredeath]

the thumbnail made me think he was gonna hate it lol

[@BlackStarKeepShining]

He made that the thumbnail because it's a depressing album.

[@futuredeath]

Yeah after watching, I guess that makes sense

[@BlackStarKeepShining]

I didn't think that because I already heard the album before Anthony uploaded the review, so... Can't really blame you, I guess.

[@lostinjks]

My first experience with Mark Kozelek's music (I know, it's shameful that I held off for so long) "Dogs" was the first song I heard and although it isnt a sad song, per say, I cried. It was so raw. This whole album is just song after song of Mark ripping off a new layer of skin for you to see underneath. Its so honest and unafraid to give you every glimpse of his thoughts, passions and insecurities. In this album he demonstrates an unsurpassable amount of personal strength he gains from exposing himself and for that I feel an internally personal confidence in my own life's simplicity and the emotions I draw from it. Listening to this album is like looking through a mirror and although the songs are painfully meticulous with details and specifics you can still glimpse yourself in each one without feeling conceited or too predictable. I found perfection in the simplicity of this album and I think it came out at the perfect time. (sorry for the wordiness)

[@Dbravoandrade]

If you liked this you should try some of Kozelek's previous works, specially the ones regarding Red House Painters. Check out their album 'Down Colorful Hill' if you want another sorrowful experience where you're being guided through the valley of despair by Mark. Warning: don't do this if you're emotionally unstable at the moment. Also, I'd love to hear a review from Fantano of this beautiful piece of work. Come on, Anthony, do it: you know Cal wouldn't aprrove of it.

[@i.hold.vertigo2329]

check out his song Admiral Fell Promises. A lot of the way you described this album is how I feel about that song in particular.

[@gh3rk1n62]

blue crab cakes

[@yeezysmalls7782]

I freaking love this album - it feels like a mix of For Emma, Forever Ago and Pinkerton for me. The instrumentation is so simple and unobtrusive, but never bland. And the lyrics are so personal and confessional, to the point where it almost seems self-indulgent and oblivious to the fact that this music will be listened to by loads of people who won't know Sun Kil Moon personally, yet they cover so many topics that it's always attention-grabbing. Could you review St Vincent's self-titled album when it comes out? That would be great.

[@FrazThe]

I have a hunch... and don't hate me if i'm wrong... that you may enjoy Bon Iver's For Emma Forever ago

[@yeezysmalls7782]

Zac Frazier incredible! Clearly Satan has told you this..

[@FrazThe]

Yeezy Smalls Satan, Jesus, Justin Vernon, I really couldn't tell ya

[@yeezysmalls7782]

Zac Frazier Well it is a great album. Any one of them could have known. I hear Jesus is a big Kanye West fan, so chances are he bumped into Justin Vernon and they exchanged this incredible knowledge

[@FrazThe]

Yeezy Smalls In all seriousness, I love FEFA. I own it on vinyl even. I also think J.V. is one of the best vocalists of all time, and yeah. Good music.

[@tombrophy6288]

Ten Years Old.

[@funygirlivy]

Crabby Caketano. the internet's bluest music nerd

[@ThomasBarthoulot]

Benji grabbed me and was a gateway into Kozelek's music, it really was. At first i couldn't go past Carissa, it was too sad, too much to take in, so simple and so devastating, i had to stop, and then i managed to go through the whole album, and the other albums. It was for the best.

[@umcarainteressante]

I just can't get enough of this album. What a masterpiece...

[@dhruvholla9090]

Wow, the static on old melon videos is deadly

[@nicofromtheweb4891]

Everytime I listen to this album in his entirety, i feel the need to come here and listen to this also. Adds details somehow, great album, great review.

[@LordLucario99]

It's the kind of record that's meant to be shared and talked about

[@ffwlpe]

that's exactly why i'm here right now lol

[@memori9791]

"Dogs" is incredible. Blew me away, definitely a gateway album for me.

[@youknowhuwitis]

One of the best albums of the 2010's

[@rickburtt5957]

I was working in a HiFi retail store when I FOUND my 1st Red House Painters cd. Or...it found me. Being a musician of similar temperment, I loived it. These songs never escape me. Mark is a Crusader into the human Male psychi. Never saying "Feel safe OR "Be Afraid" just painting. The harrowing next to the triumphant. Thanks for making art from reality, Mark.

[@popcornisfromcorn]

Thanks again Anthony for this video, I was introduced to this album here and it has since been one of my favorites. I listened to a lot of cold calculated electronic music previously and still do, but this album opened my ears up to a whole new sound of full "acoustic music" (whatever that means). I started to play guitar and write music partially because this record- its a real catalyst for me. So thanks for that. Peace

[@IcanGetbackUp]

This album actually was my first sonic adventure (no pun intended) into pure folk music. I was introduced through Aesop Rock, with he and Kimya Dawson in The Uncluded, and this is still my all-time favorite folk album. I also took a listen to Red House Painters, which was pretty good, and Kimya Dawson's most recent solo album, Thunder Thighs, which was phenomenal to me.

[@theneedledrop]

Review: Sun Kil Moon - Benji kzbin.info/www/bejne/kIWse6mEotiEndE

[@benjaminbraddock3750]

great review dood

[@PheenKnowsBest]

Benjamin Braddock Translate for fun!

[@nimaxx]

me gusta, anthony thanks for that. #saol

[@aruggeri4]

Track Review: John Frusciante - Scratch

[@treddshort]

i agreed with EVERY word you said about this album. It's a gem to me

[@James7995]

great album

[@thebloodynine0305]

been a subscriber for some time now. I dont even listen to all the albums you talk about, but the way you describe these albums and artists just amaze me with the knowledge of how music works and effects people is really one of the highest caliber. Bravo to you my man. keep it up as I know you will

[@jondriver9069]

Loved the album. Having listened to it, I feel like I know Mark on quite an intimate level. I love how he is indiscriminate in what he sings about himself--some good thing, some bad, some honorable things, some embarrassing. One of the most genuinely reflective artists I've encountered.

[@MarkAllen9]

Mark Kozelek makes me cry when I listen to his songs. Sometimes I don't even know why. He is my all time favorite song writer.

[@mezero5196]

Nu-fantano would've given it a 10

[@skybowl456]

mezer O absolutely

[@nickfromCO]

Thanks for finally getting to this...my thoughts exactly. 9/10 and what will probably be my album of the year unless something just blows me out of the water out of nowhere...gut wrenching, well produced, and a lyrical masterwork.

[@CountOrlockTheBirdOfDeath]

How does one simply not enjoy this album? Pure work of art.

[@R3N3x13]

Let me say this. I feel as if I am with Mark throughout his life journey, and it is truly saddening. Like Louis CK once touched on, sometimes you need to accept sadness to feel human and experience genuine happiness.

[@dande5009]

Endlessly in awe of the depth you pull from these works. It sometimes feels like my own disorganised thoughts are being clearly verbalised back at me

[@grongbertrude9450]

Doesn't anyone care about how honest this album is? Listen to pop music if you want hooky, formulaic songs. This music is honest and that's all I have to say about it. I'll take a real and honest wordy song over a well composed, well performed bullshit song any day..

[@ThePersonNetwork]

Is that the first time you put none as least fav track??

[@YoDawgoneeleven]

Not the first time. Plus a few times he's said he doesn't have a clear least favorite.

[@spongeaang98]

In his GKMC review for Kendrick Lamar, he's said "Real" was that track, if he HAD to just pick one, and for Return of 4eva, he didn't have a least favorite either.

[@Connorslamevideos]

spongeaang98 His reviews of Disma's Towards the Megalith and Nails' Unsilent Death i believe dont have any least fav tracks either

[@BITKID1]

Anthony, I bet you would get all A's in your essays.

[@thomassharer8453]

I also give this a nine! Honestly february has been one of the best months of music in recent years. It seems like Sun Kil Moon, Angel Olsen, St Vincent and Beck are bound to be toward the top of alot of year end lists this year

[@AtchyCat]

Thanks for the review Anthony, really loved this album; and just in general, thanks for making videos, I wouldn't listen to half of the music I do without your reviews.

[@jonaslum]

Damn agony sadtano youre so unpredictable. With that said I'm really happy you loved this album. While it isn't perfect, I don't think a piece of music has ever made me feel this way before. Everything in the album is so genuine, sad, but as you said strangely comforting... and I think it might have a little to do with how the final track is so friendly and loveable.

[@dylanbrady9925]

My Top Albums 2014. 1.Behemoth - The Satanist (10/10) 2.Sun Kil Moon - Benji (9/10) 3.St. Vincent - St. Vincent (9/10) 4.Wild Beasts - Present Tense (8/10) 5.Ásgeir - In The Silence (8/10) 6.Against Me! - Transgender Dysphoria Blues (8/10) 7.Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra - Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light on Everything (8/10) 8.Young Fathers - Dead (7/10) 9.Alcest - Shelter (7/10) 10.Beck - Morning Phase (6/10) Albums have been great this year. Anyone else's list looking like this?

[@Coloruption]

We got 10 more months.

[@toiletjoseph4167]

this changed at all?

[@dylanbrady9925]

@@toiletjoseph4167 Freddie Gibbs and madlib pinata in there, run the Jewels 2, d'angelo with black Messiah, Mick Jenkins the waters, Alvvays, Mac DeMarco salad days Thanks for commenting, mad seeing what I was listening to at that point in time

[@toiletjoseph4167]

@@dylanbrady9925 of course lol, great picks too. i only heard benji for the first time yesterday and ive been completely enamoured by it, been looking at everyone elses thoughts on it.

[@dylanbrady9925]

@@toiletjoseph4167 it probably would still be in my top 5 albums that year. Great album, needs a spin again

[@robinsandquist]

I agree with you Anthony. This album just grabbed me from start to finish. Loved the lyrical themes and minimalistic tension with the instruments.

[@HarryBondInc]

this album is so god damn good

[@crm114-PoE]

The story about his friend Brett on the track Micheline always brings tears to my eyes.

[@IanAannevik]

That's really great, I really feel like picking this one up. Haven't really been listening too much to this guy. Thanks for another great review!

[@IanAannevik]

I LOVED this record. Seeing him live in april.

[@henryleaver1534]

Wow, after almost 2 years, I still adore this album. Anthony sums it up well: you will be facing your mortality, at some point during this record.

[@GoB1996]

I faced mine with the very first track man

[@jankeleg3842]

I really enjoyed this album, it's just oozing personal experience and heartbreak. But in the same manor, it shares neat little stories that are sometimes funny or misadventurous. It's definitely one that's inspired me in songwriting.

[@nicke.424]

This, pinkerton, and in utero are the most personal records I've ever heard

[@quierovacaciones]

You should definitely check out Twin Fantasy (2018) by Car Seat Headrest if you haven't already

[@kylestarfaux]

I've always had a connection to his music. I think most people either totally get it or they totally don't get it.

[@freestewart]

I don't usually like singer-songwriters, but Benji is really something else. This is a kind of songwriting that makes pretty much everything else feel utterly distant and dishonest. Love it!

[@Antslimeball]

How can you say you don’t usually like singers or songwriters and be a fan of music?

[@Furitenma]

I absolutely loved this album. Great review Anthony.

[@jacobniehaus]

Easily a 10, one of the best albums I've heard in a long time. I can see this being album of the year material....even already 2 months into 2014.

[@lyleugleman9799]

Agony Sadtango #SADBOYS2001

[@drussellsprouts]

I demand a revisiting of Unkown Death.

[@smiller2323]

Really great LP, coming from someone who mostly listens to more electronic based music. It's a bummer for sure, but it's so beautifully done. "Ben's My Friend" is an early competitor for song of the year.

[@russianvoodoo]

This album is exactly where I started. For a me, as foreigner, this feels different. Loved this album. It's like reading Bukovsky short stories.

[@Garbage_Eaterr]

Mark is so real, so human. I cannot wait for his next album.

[@twodivision]

It's a weirdly relatable album. I'm not from US and I'm much younger than Kozelek but almost every song where he tells a story about some of his relatives or his childhood feels like something that could happen in my life as well.

[@Thataussiebattler]

For me its like a homeless dude catching freight trains across america in the late 50's till the summer of 69.

[@Amusiastudio]

my favourite Mark Kozelek album is Admiral Fell Promises. As a long time fan of him, this album has been the longest and hardest for me to get into.

[@featherycoffee1401]

This is a great comedy album, definitely play it for a good hearty laugh

[@ClutchGamingLeGiiT]

Pretty underrated as an album of the decade honestly one of my faves still after damn near 4 years

[@willsi]

Anthony, this is a very unique sounding album. Your observations, as always, have pushed me toward a great one. Thanks, buddy!

[@Georgie_B_]

Sound review my man, he's one of the most gifted artists around imo.

[@MachineSamba]

I adore this album. It's hilariously, exhaustively, earnest. More storytelling than songwriting. Listening to it is captivating and dreamy. And so often he is singing about death in a beautiful, cozy way.

[@alfonztv]

Pure gateway. I remember as soon as I heard Richard Ramerez dies today of natural causes. I knew this was gonna me in my precious vinyl collection.

[@uphillracer]

Love it. CARISSA is the most heartbreaking Song I've heard in a long time. Everytime I listen to it I start crying.

[@EctInc]

I thought Anthony would hate it, based on his tastes. I'm glad he loves it as much as I do. I think it's much easier to like if you were a fan of Red House Painters.

[@EctInc]

And yes, everything you said is just what I thought about the album, too. Sort of backwards songwriting... an album that only appeals to similar minded people.

[@chairsmissing]

I'm on a Benji mood again.

[@PeterSaudino]

Discovering this band was an experience... I am a huge fan of the War On Drugs and I heard about the beef (as much as I love Mark, this shit is just childish). I listened to "Ben's My Friend" and my jaw dropped. Mark was doing things with storytelling I didn't know was possible. The lyrics were just like a novel - he was just reading them. Telling events as they happen. But what a voice.

[@UnderneathTheRadar03]

Sneaky Fantano, first with the video thumbnail then starting off with Agony Sadtano and the fact this one isn't in your loved list yet I was not ready for this review.. Well played Sir... Going to check it out now.

[@BallotBoxer]

St. Vincent, Phantogram, Beck, and Death Vessel are on your review radar, right?

[@ThatLadinPlaid]

Dogs is a fantastic song.

[@AnotherGradus]

Eels 'Blinking Lights and Other Revelations' is a better way of dealing with mortality & death-- Sun Kil Moon's 'Benji' is a bit too similar overall-- mumbling free verse over acoustic guitar, each track more indistinguishable than the next. It's good in 3 or 4 track doses, it doesn't vary enough to warrant listening to the whole album at once. The second half of the album is really solid, especially the slice of life/autobiography material. I'd say it's a 7/10 BTW "Pray For Newtown" sounds clumsy & patronizing as Neil Young's "Let's Roll"-- the artist feels bad about current events while adding nothing of insight. "Ohh they're so deep because they feel bad about stuff most people feel bad about."

[@ryanlindborg3634]

This is one of your best reviews Anthony. Great job!

[@GoldStandardPunk66]

Real spot on review here. A really intimate, stark depiction of a man who feels he has one foot in the grave, reflecting on all the death around him and trying to make sense of it all. Really opened me up to a lot of Mark's work and have been enjoying it a lot (especially Rollercoaster).

[@HungryButler]

Eh, I wasn't as hot on the rambling style. Thought it was unique, but like you said, the songs sound totally unedited and probably needed some editing. Glad you liked it though.

[@phillipcasteel972]

This is a great gateway album to this guy's gigantic discography. He's got a lot of material! He recorded an album with Jimmy LaValle (The Album Leaf) and has an entire album of Modest Mouse covers.

[@ConKelly92]

Very well explained, Anthony. I'll be giving this album a listen within the next couple of days! Have a great weekend, brotha!

[@lukerogers151]

As a huge fan of Mark's work, this review is spot on. Some of Mark's best work on this album, imo

[@ericfrasco4350]

I was so worried that you would hate this album and point things out that will make me like it less. Thank you Anthony. Thank you for not hating this.

[@mikewvt]

wow, what an outstanding review. i have seen other reviews that you have done as well. you are very good at this. i am truly impressed at your focus and thoughtfulness.

[@dmww262]

I agree with what you said about this being a "gateway" album. . . I never understood the hype about Red House Painters, but after "Benji" I'm willing to go back for a second listen. Biggest issue with this album: how a lot of the songs seem to kind of just. . . stop.

[@rorykillian749]

Dude how is I Love My Dad not on your favorite tracks

[@Brax1982]

How can two people within your family die by exploding aerosol can in the trash?? How does that even happen to anyone? Picturing this...holy shit. Is that a thing?

[@pretty_in_casts]

The beginning of Nickthony Namethano...

[@somethinghhh6005]

Yes, absolutely agreed, the album is overwhelmingly beautiful.

[@noahlondon3230]

I feel like I could appreciate this album when I'm a little older

[@TheAlmightyComosis]

I love how honest it is. You should review Baptists - Bushcraft next.