It's hard to believe that if you include all of Songs: Ohia's catalog, Jason Molina's solo work, and now What Comes After The Blues, his second album as Magnolia Electric Co, this makes album number ten for the prolific singer/songwriter. What's even harder to believe is that he's never made a bad album. This one is no different. When we last heard Jason, it was back in January on the excellent live album Trials & Errors which was a precursor to this, the official studio debut as Magnolia Electric Co. Still mining that Neil Young sound, What Comes After The Blues will make a fan out of anyone who's ever appreciated the country-rock legend.

Album opener "The Dark Don't Hide It" and "Leave The City" don't stray too far from the way they were presented a few months ago on Trials & Errors, but the other six tracks are all new, and all phenomenal. "The Night Shift Lullaby" is the only song here not sung by Molina. The tune is given voice by Jennie Benford, a young woman whose sound smacks of Gram Parsons era Emmylou Harris. Her voice is delicate and yet strong and meshes well with Molina on the closing track "I Cannot Have Seen The Light." Avant-garde punk legend Steve Albini does an exceptional job behind the boards producing - showing the great wisdom to simply allow the tape to roll and let Molina do what he does best: sing sorrowful tunes with minimal background distractions. Some artists don't make two great albums in an entire career, but What Comes After The Blues makes two great albums for Molina in the last four months. What a friggin' show off!