Among the Leaves

Sun Kil Moon's Mark Kozelek has discovered a love for nylon-stringed guitar, rejuvenating his sound and adding an intimacy that makes his already-introspective songs an even deeper experience. For years with Red House Painters and as a solo performer, he built his reputation with his voice and epic-length explorations. In recent years, he's focused on his guitar playing; his intricate fingerpicking has made him the most unlikely of guitar heroes. As their titles indicate, these tracks reveal his sense of humor, which has often been obscured by his songs' pure emotion. There's a poignant truth lurking alongside "The Moderately Talented yet Attractive Young Woman vs. The Exceptionally Talented yet Not So Attractive Middle Aged Man." The melody is one of Kozelek's strongest, and its manageable length suggests he's interested in writing more easily accessible songs. In fact, several of the shortest tunes here—"I Know It's Pathetic but That Was the Greatest Night of My Life," "Sunshine in Chicago," and "Among the Leaves"—are his most immediately enjoyable. The electricity behind "King Fish" adds a welcome contrast.