The American singer-songwriter Mark Kozelek is increasingly developing into a performance artist. Whether he does this as his alter ego or under his own name, the rustic rippling music always serves his long, slightly broken voice recited stories full of personal memories, outpourings, everyday reflections and opinions about films and music. For example, he makes the listener on Joey Always Smiled
… his best friend, where he can vent his heart unbridled. Melancholic undertones are amplified by 's humming vocals in the background. Only in the closing song does a duet between the two vocalists come to be, in the form of a supported performance of The Power Of Love by . Almost an ironic end to an intimate and candid album. (MR)more