Secretly Canadian plans deluxe reissue of Songs: Ohia’s Didn’t It Rain for November 11

Secretly Canadian plans deluxe reissue of Songs: Ohia's Didn't It Rain for November 11

It’s a testament to the strength of Jason Molina’s songwriting that you could probably ask three different people what his best album was and you’d get three different answers. Ask me on a Tuesday night when it never quite stormed and I’d probably say 2000’s Ghost Tropic. Ask me on a Wednesday morning when my air conditioning’s broken and I’m playing quiet records loud because my house is empty and I’ll say 2002’s Didn’t It Rain. Both records expertly mine an intense strain of folk sound that “sparse,” as Gabe Vodicka noted in his Delorean of Ghost Tropic, doesn’t quite cover.

With the loose, recorded-live vibe that a big chunk of Molina’s work has, I’ve always thought it would be interesting to take a look at where those songs came from, to see how the improvisatory process of putting the songs to tape contract and expanded those original ideas. On November 11, Secretly Canadian will give us the chance to do just that by reissuing Didn’t It Rain as a deluxe two-disc edition. In addition to the original album, the reissue will include a selection of never-before-released demos and early working versions, some of which went on to appear on the album proper, others of which popped up elsewhere throughout Molina’s discography. You can pre-order the release via Secretly Canadian here. It’s available as a CD or LP, and there’s also a bundle option that includes both versions and a large poster. Listen below to a demo version of “Ring the Bell” under the working title “Depression No. 42.”

Didn’t It Rain: Deluxe Edition tracklist:

Disc 1 (Original Record):
01. Didn’t It Rain
02. Steve Albini’s Blues
03. Ring the Bell
04. Cross the Road, Molina
05. Blue Factory Flame
06. Two Blue Lights
07. Blue Chicago Moon

Disc 2 (Demos):
1. Didn’t It Rain
2. Ring the Bell, Working Title: Depression No. 42
3. Cross the Road, Molina, Working Title: Chicago City Moon
4. Blue Factory Flame
5. Two Blue Lights
6. Blue Chicago Moon
7. The Gray Tour, Working Title: Waiting It’s Whole Life
8. Spectral Alphabet

• Jason Molina: http://jasonmolina.com
• Secretly Canadian: http://www.secretlycanadian.com

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