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Nov 01, 2008 By Jim Scott Mark Kozelek

Considering Sun Kil Moon just came out with an album earlier this year, Mark Kozelek titling another of his forays into the world of covers “Finally” is an odd choice. As is the “LP” in the title, which seems like someone doth protest too much; the album clocks in at a tidy 10 songs and 30 minutes, including two instrumentals, and most of it has been released before. These quibbles aside, Finally provides more evidence that Kozelek is one of the finest voices working today.

Finally showcases Kozelek’s folk side, far from the hazy guitars of Sun Kil Moon. It’s actually quite like an old folk record (including a version of “Send in the Clowns”), with Kozelek reinterpreting the songs of others in his reedy, fragile voice. Kozelek’s version of Will Oldham’s “New Partner” is stunning. But they’re unsurprising bedfellows. Low’s “Lazy,” on the other hand, becomes a plaintive wail in Kozelek’s hands, and one of his catchiest songs.

The shortcoming of Finally isn’t in the content of the album, it’s in the quite transparent fact that it’s not really an album. The only cohesion is in the artist, which is reason enough for some, but for most, this is a “collector’s only” item. (www.markkozelek.com)

Author rating: 6/10