Sun Kil Moon - Benji

Blue crab cakes.

Sun Kil Moon - "Ben's My Friend"

I feel like it's been a while since a Sun Kil Moon song has begun with a cymbal smack. "Ben's My Friend," the closing track from SKM's upcoming album Benji, features more of leader Mark Kozelek's ever-quickening lyrical delivery, detailing an intricate story that starts with a conversation between he and his girlfriend, and ends up discussing his relationship with Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard (before they got big). It is all very matter of act and dryly funny (the repetition of the phrase "sports bar shit" is one of my favorite moments), and features some lovely sax and flamenco guitar, as well as some almost-confusingly double-tracked vocals.

Stream above, and keep an eye out for Benji released February 4 via Caldo Verde.

Sun Kil Moon - "Micheline"

Stream: Sun Kil Moon - "Micheline" Since Among The Leaves, Mark Kozelek has favored a slightly more straightforward approach – much more direct lyricism, less reliance on multi-tracking his own vocals – and it has mostly paid off. New song “Micheline,” from the new Sun Kil Moon record Benji (out next year), mostly follows this formula, but tweaks it in the loveliest of ways, especially with the little rain drops of piano, while Kozelek ruminates on death and memory for six minutes. May not sound like it’d be enjoyable, but trust us on this one.

Watch out for Benji on February 4, via Caldo Verde.

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Sun Kil Moon - "Richard Ramirez Died Today of Natural Causes"

Mark Kozelek has been extremely busy. After releasing last year's Sun Kil Moon album Among the Leaves, he has released a slew of live albums, a collaboration with Desertshore, and a collaboration with Jimmy LaValle of The Album Leaf on this year's magnificent Perils from the Sea. Now, he has announced a new Sun Kil Moon album, entitled Benji, due out in February, and here's the first track to drop from it. Kozelek's lyrics are still written in the same literal, story-telling fashion, and he's still singing in that trademark Kozelek way. However, the piece as a whole has much more urgency than a lot of his output in recent years, especially with those off-kilter background vocals. And then those drums kick in at the end and it brings it all full circle.

Look for Benji on February 4, via Kozelek's own Caldo Verde.