Lou Barlow

Add Date: September 29

Artist: Lou Barlow

Album: Goodnight Unknown

Label: Merge

Genre: Rock, lo-fi, folk rock

Comments: Goodnight Unknown is Lou Barlow's first proper solo record since 2005's Emoh, but in his defense, he's been kinda busy. You know, with that whole Dinosaur Jr. reunion thing, which has spun into two new LPs from the alt-rock legends. Plus, he's overseen the re-release of three of Sebadoh's classic LPs from the late '80s/early '90s. So there's been a lot going on. (No word on that Folk Implosion reunion, though let's hope this blog post starts up some rumors from diehard fans who regularly Google "Folk Implosion reunion.")

So what, exactly, is Goodnight Unknown? It's certainly not the greatest album in Barlow's rather extensive catalog, but it's still a fine set of sometimes folksy, sometimes lo-fi pop tunes from the man that AllMusic.com calls "[a]rguably the most prolific songwriter of his generation." While I'd counter that that title should probably be bestowed upon his fellow Dayton native, Robert Pollard, there's no debating Barlow's mastery of the craft. Start with the Sebadoh-lite title track and "One Machine, One Long Fight," as well as folk tunes "I'm Thinking..." and "The One I Call."