Song Of The Day No.29

Katy Song

by Red House Painters (Rollercoaster, 1993)

Although actually self-titled, the second album from Mark Kozelek's band is commonly referred to as Rollercoaster in order to distinguish it from their third, also self-titled, album. The second album's artwork is a sepia-tinged picture of an old rollercoaster and the third has a photo of a small wooden bridge over a river and among some trees, again with a sepia effect.

In 1993 the band managed to release both afore-mentioned self-titled LPs, Rollercoaster in May and Bridge in October, highlighting Kozelek's propensity for writing. Characterisitcally the album features more than a handful of songs that run for over seven minutes, something that he continues to do today with his group Sun Kil Moon.

'Katy Song' is one of these songs. At eight minutes and twenty-three seconds the song is a slow burner. The snap of the snare marking a slow tempo and the echoey guitar shimmers in the background providing a touching silvery backdrop for Kozelek's stark vocals and lyrics. The lyrics finish half way through the song with the ominous line “Without you what does my life amount to”, after that phases of distortion and slight feedback chaperon moaning harmonies in heart tearing plees of non-words until a destitute end.

AR