The Lioness

# The Lioness by Songs: Ohia: An In-Depth Review ## Overview Released on January 17, 2000, *The Lioness* is the fourth studio album by Songs: Ohia, the primary musical project of the late Jason Molina . Recorded in Glasgow, Scotland, with members of Arab Strap and Appendix Out, the album marked a significant evolution in Molina's sound and approach . Clocking in at just under 40 minutes across nine tracks, it has since been recognized as a pivotal work in the slowcore and indie folk genres . ## Lyrics Jason Molina's lyrical voice on *The Lioness* is characterized by a stark, poetic intimacy that explores love not as comfort, but as a form of voluntary surrender. The album's central preoccupation is what one critic described as "submission and the rapture of submission" . The title track, "Lioness," exemplifies this thematic core with startling physicality. Molina sings: > "It is for me the eventual truth / Of that look of the lioness to her man across the Nile / Want to feel my heart break if it must break in your jaws / Want you to lick my blood off your paws" This is not conventional romantic imagery. It is love as predation willingly accepted, a desire for obliteration through intimacy. The repeated refrain "I will swim to you" reinforces the voluntary nature of this surrender . "Being in Love" offers perhaps Molina's most direct statement on the album's theme: > "Being in love / Means you are completely broken / Then put back together / The one piece that was yours / Is beating in your lover's breast" This conception of love as both destruction and reconstruction runs throughout the record. In "Coxcomb Red," Molina delivers the devastating observation: "Every love is your best love and every love is your last love and every kiss is a goodbye" . The lyrics avoid the confessional clichés of singer-songwriter traditions. Instead, Molina works in a spare, almost aphoristic mode, allowing single lines to carry the weight of entire songs. ## Music Musically, *The Lioness* represents a deliberate departure from the "battlefield folk and deconstructed Americana" of Molina's earlier recordings . The album is characterized by what has been called a "molasses movement" — slow, deliberate pacing that prioritizes atmosphere over dynamics . The arrangements are sparse but not minimal. Guitar work alternates between gently plucked figures and sustained, reverb-heavy chords. The album features flashes of keyboards and dual guitars that add texture without disrupting the contemplative mood . The production, helmed by Andy Miller, captures a sound that is both intimate and expansive — close-miked vocals set against arrangements that feel like they're breathing . The Arab Strap influence is palpable. The Glaswegian band's aesthetic — confessional lyrics delivered over sparse, atmospheric backing — is absorbed into Molina's songwriting, creating what many consider the archetypal Songs: Ohia sound . Tracks like "Tigress" and "Coxcomb Red" feature arrangements that feel simultaneously modern and timeless. Molina's voice remains the album's most distinctive instrument: a high, quavering tenor that communicates vulnerability without becoming precious. On "The Black Crow," which opens the album with nearly seven minutes of slow-building tension, his voice carries the weight of someone discovering that "the whole world" is "fading" . ## Production The decision to record at Chem19 Studios in Hamilton, near Glasgow, was instrumental in shaping the album's character . The Scottish setting and collaborators — Aidan Moffat, David Gow, and Alasdair Roberts — brought a distinctly European sensibility to Molina's American folk foundations . The production values prioritize space and texture. The album avoids the polished, radio-friendly sound that might have been expected from a major indie release in 2000. Instead, Miller's engineering allows the songs to exist in a kind of twilight — neither fully produced nor raw, but suspended in an atmosphere that suits the lyrical content . The 2018 reissue, *Love & Work: The Lioness Sessions*, revealed that nearly another album's worth of material was recorded during the same sessions . These outtakes — working man's blues like "It Gets Harder Over Time" and "I Promise Not to Quit" — provide context for understanding *The Lioness* as the more romantic counterpart to a larger body of work dealing with the "grit and dirt of being" . ## Themes The dominant theme is love as sacred suffering — an experience that requires the dissolution of the self. Molina, newly in love with the woman who would become his wife, crafted an album that celebrates this dissolution rather than fearing it . The predatory imagery that runs through the album — lionesses, tigresses, "jaws," "paws" — has drawn criticism for its potentially stereotypical portrayal of women as dangerous creatures . However, reading these lyrics as Molina's self-positioning as willing prey complicates that reading. The speaker desires to be consumed; the "predatory woman" is less a stereotype than a necessary figure in a drama of chosen surrender. There is also a spiritual dimension to the album. The 2018 reissue includes a cover of the Sacred Harp hymn "Wondrous Love," recorded during the London sessions . Molina's performance of "Into eternity I will sing" suggests that the album's explorations of love and surrender carry religious undertones — the lover as a kind of deity, the act of loving as a form of worship. ## Influence *The Lioness* occupies a significant position in the trajectory of what would become known as "sadcore" or slowcore. Its fusion of folk structures with atmospheric, post-rock-influenced production anticipated the work of artists like Bon Iver and The Antlers . More specifically, the album aligned Molina with a transatlantic community of musicians — Low, Gastr del Sol, Red House Painters, Arab Strap — who were exploring similar territory at the turn of the millennium . This network helped establish the aesthetic parameters for a certain strain of indie music that prioritized emotional directness over technical virtuosity. The 2018 reissue brought renewed attention to the album, with Pitchfork raising its rating from 7.6 to 8.7, suggesting a critical reassessment that positions *The Lioness* as more than a transitional work but as a masterpiece in its own right . ## Pros and Cons ### Pros - **Lyrical ambition**: Molina's writing achieves a rare balance between poetry and directness. Lines like "Every love is your best love and every love is your last love" are quotable without feeling like they're trying to be . - **Atmospheric production**: The Glasgow sessions with Arab Strap collaborators produced a sound that feels both intimate and expansive, avoiding the pitfalls of both over-production and lo-fi affectation . - **Cohesive vision**: As one critic noted, "The Lioness isn't a collection of songs, it's a state of mind, or a state of the soul" . The album works as a unified artistic statement rather than a collection of tracks. - **Historical significance**: The album represents a crucial moment in Molina's evolution as an artist and in the development of the slowcore genre . ### Cons - **Pacing**: For listeners accustomed to more varied dynamics, the album's consistently slow tempo can feel monotonous. One reviewer noted that it "can sound slow and, in a few places, empty of content" . - **Accessibility**: The album's emotional intensity and lyrical focus on surrender and self-dissolution can feel overwhelming or off-putting to some listeners. Its pleasures are not immediate. - **Absence of collaborators**: Pitchfork's original review noted that the album's move to Scotland meant the loss of Edith Frost's vocals, which had provided "a compelling counterpoint to Molina's somber delivery" on previous records, making *The Lioness* "decidedly more resigned and less passionate" . - **Predatory imagery**: The recurring lioness/tigress motif has been criticized as relying on stereotypical portrayals of women as dangerous or predatory . Whether this is a legitimate criticism or a misreading of Molina's self-positioning as prey remains open to interpretation. ## Conclusion *The Lioness* is an album that rewards patience and repeated listening. Its surface — slow tempos, spare arrangements, Molina's quavering voice — gives way to depths that reveal themselves gradually. It is a record about the terrifying beauty of losing oneself in another person, rendered with a poet's economy and a musician's instinct for atmosphere. Twenty-five years after its release, it remains a singular achievement: a love album that refuses to comfort, a surrender that feels like triumph.

When I think about other artists who use similarly sparse arrangements, they either have complex and beautiful lyrics like Nick Cave or Leonard Cohen or the present instrumentation is so beautiful that it warrants your full attention like Cigarettes After Sex or My Bloody Valentine. This album has neither of those things and so it fails to capture my interest.

I really liked this. To the commenter who said that they felt a similarity to Arab Strap; they played on this album, so that makes sense.

Weird

Loved the atmosphere, the sound was nice, but i failed to lock in to get what was on offer.

This is some depressing indie music. To its credit, Songs: Ohia is chill and flows well, but all I can seem to focus on is how down and out the vocalist of Lioness sounds. I love me some emotional music, but this is some depression inducing stylings.

This album was somewhere between indie rock and alt country, but definitely more on the indie rock side of things. It was incredibly mellow and slow, and bordered on folk genres as well. The vocalist for Songs: Ohia has a voice that lends itself well to these stylings and genres. I noted that this album was released in 2000, which was kind of surprising, because it sounded a lot like the indie rock of the 2010s as well. So either Songs: Ohia was part of a trendsetting movement, or that genre as a whole has remained much the same over the years and is changing at a glacial pace. I really had to contemplate where to put this album. It didn't wow me at all or even intrigue me very much to make it a 3, but I felt like I enjoyed it more than a 2. That put me pretty much in the "2.5 and going to round up to 3" range, so here we are.

good, a little dull

Songs: Ohia continues to be fine and I continue to not understand the hype.

Little pride.

a wim o weh

oh fun! I was literally listening to Ohia earlier this morning I kinda feel bad that the only album I’ve been listening to is Magnolia Electric Co. because all their stuff is incredible both before that album, and when they made a return with this :) obvious 10/10

Det mesta låter likadant. Helt okej album trots allt.

I’ve never heard of this artist before (or any of the names he released work under for that matter), but the reviews for this album are pretty encouraging. I’m not quite sure what to expect from this, but I’ve been on a bit of a hot streak with new discoveries lately, so I’m hoping this will keep the streak alive. Wow, this was a really good album. This album instantly reminded me of a few other artists: City and Color, Manchester Orchestra (mostly the I’m Like a Virgin Losing a Child to Mean Everything to Nothing era), and Bonnie Prince Billy. The vocals on this album were great, and there was a tone of slowly creeping dread that permeated the whole album. The music on this album was matched really well with the tone of the lyrics; this is the kind of work that really pulls the listener in to its world of emotions. I thought the organ playing on this album was of particular note, especially on “Tigress.” It’s really interesting to me that this artist is so well known and cherished, and yet one of his albums didn’t make the main list. But I guess that’s what makes this project so fun: one man’s Jason Molina is another man’s Bonnie Prince Billy.

The Lioness is chilled out and stripped back but not simple, has compelling vocals but doesn't really engage me properly. Low 3/5, probably not as good as Magnolia Electric Co. was.

Masterpiece!

Yeah, this is my jam. Can't believe I've never heard of this before.

Average singer songwriter far. Never felt that Jason Molina was all that special...but have tried so many times. 2.5/5

I prefer Manoglia Co

I am not overly familiar with Jason Molina, but he's clearly one of the best songwriters of his generation. This album was great, and happy to listen to most of his music.

I'm having a shitty week. Work has been too demanding and not rewarding enough, I have made a couple of blunders that I need to fix, and I have no real motivation for it. The news are scary and awful, and "social networks" are a toxic cesspool which I willingly contribute to when I let my worst instincts take over -- I just can't help it, so many alienated souls just vomit their intolerance and bigotry online. But I have to face it: I am as alienated as they are, even if I think I'm not like "them". As someone rightly stated in another review here, "be kind, motherfuckers, be kind". Such a great way to put it. But the world is a sick sad place. Everything feels pointless. So I guess that in that context, it was the right time for me to have my first serious listen to this Songs: Ohia album, simpler and less ornate on a composition, instrumentation and arrangement level than *The Magnolia Electric Co*, yet maybe more straightforward in its expression of melancholic emotions or full-blown sadness, here mixed with flimsy and cautious hope. A couple of songs feel a little "samey" on the second side, but apart from that, Jason Molina's voice goes straight to the heart. All in all, the two albums often singled out in Songs: Ohia's discography might be different animals (say, an owl and a lionness), but they are equally poignant. The world lost a great artist and touching soul when Molina left us. Confessional music rarely feels this moving, and I wish I could take a page out of the book he left behind him to make my own confessional urges equally interesting. 3.5/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums, rounded up to 4 8.5/10 for more general purposes (5 + 3.5) ---- Number of albums from the original list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 465 Albums from the original list I *might* include in mine later on: 288 Albums from the original list I won't include in mine: 336 ---- Number of albums from the users list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 70 Albums from the users list I *might* select for mine later on: 88 (including this one) Albums from the users list I won't select for mine: 168 ---- Emile... Je viens de lire ta dernière réponse. Je vais essayer de trouver le temps de rédiger la mienne bientôt. D'ici-là, ben bonne année

This was boring as hell. The best part was when it was over.

I was drawn the the softness and delicate nature of the vocals. The music supported them very well. Surprising that I enjoyed this one so much but I’d listen again for sure.

Atmospheric.

You feeling okay after this one?

Enjoyable.

Indie rock, alt-country. Muy aburrido. Un 2.

Indie rock, alt-country. Muy monótono.

The Lioness hit me harder than almost anything I’ve heard in years. Forty minutes in and it felt like this record carved out a permanent space. The recording is so pure you can hear fingers on strings, every drum tap puts you in the room. Jason Molina sounds three feet away, working through wreckage in real time, and somehow it becomes yours too. Andy Miller's production is raw but full, stripped down but complete. Nothing is polished. Nothing is hidden. It’s intimate to the point of feeling a little dangerous. That's what took me by surprise mostly: how un-American this album feels for an American songwriter. The last band that touched me like this was Arab Strap, and the overlap is clear. It's the same emotional directness, the same sense that someone is telling you the truth. Desolate, yes. But not hopeless. It made me want to hug someone I love, remind me that connection still matters even when everything else is gone. I don’t really know what to do with this album yet. It left me almost in tears, and that doesn’t happen often anymore. But I know it’s one I’ll carry with me.

Slowcore at its slowcoriest. One thinks of this lot as spiritual heirs to Giant Sand (when they are actually contemporaries, recognizing this came out same year as Chore of Enchantment). One prefers Sun Kil Moon and Red House Painters overall, but this is strong and original, fully authentic because of the clear and unwavering commitment to a singular sort of approach. It’s pretty deliciously dirge-y, and spectacularly spare (so thus a little one note). Magnolia Electric Co might be slightly more worthy based on extra musical bits. One wants more of such music on the list proper so could replace anything metal and from 2000 alone gimme this over Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park (of course anything would be an upgrade over those atrocious acts). Thanks, recommender, for reconnecting one to a band one doesn’t hang out with enough.

Turns out Aquaman is a pretty good musician.

Reminded me of something but not exactly sure what. Cake maybe? Staind? Anyway, not that great

He was just one man. He sings and it's nice sometimes and occasionally there is atmosphere of a certain sort. Proximity to Canada is clear here. great album though truly

While I’m not of the opinion that every album needs a full orchestra to create intrigue, the production and instrumentation on this project are too sparse to inspire any excitement. There’s nothing wrong with it, just kind of boring. 3/5

November 14, 2025 HL: "Being in Love", "Back on Top" First Songs: Ohia. He'd have been a nightmare on open mic night

This album is like dark alt country/blues? Similar vein to MJ Lenderman or Bill Callahan (we had one of his albums on the 1001 list) or Bonnie "Prince" Billy (also had an album on the 1001 list). Almost like doom country. A unique genre of music that I have very little exposure to, but like quite a bit. I will have to explore it more. Favorite songs: Tigress, The Black Crow, Lioness Least favorite songs: Baby Take a Look 3/5

good, chill energy, 3-4 stars. a litle too sad to listen too daily, but a fun listen.

Good. Not great. I need more variation. But I generally think this has some tracks I'll listen to more.

Woah, this is good. I'd 'favourited' it in Spotify at some point but it must have fallen down the cracks and been forgotten. This really hit me this morning, and that was before I read Wikipedia.

This one just didn't speak to me. I didn't like the lead singer's voice, which is always a killer. The music progressed slowly. I don't think it's bad, but I didn't find myself enjoying it much either 3/5

Melancholy yet relatable when in the proper mood

The album art is spare but arresting. Best thing about the album, which otherwise failed to grab me. It isn't terrible, just not the kind of thing I enjoy. If this is your go to album I'm sorry and I hope things get happier for you soon. Sincerely.

The work is competent, but I've already seen so many people doing the same that it's tough to get something different from this record. PS: I swear I yawned at least 1 time per song, but I probably should not blame the album for my sleepiness. Or should I?

A good time to reckon with the fact that Jason Molina was one of the greatest songwriters of his generation. While I am partial to his more country-oriented Magnolia Electric Co., the Lioness is such a strikingly tender album with incredible songs throughout. Back On Top, Tigress, the title track, all bringing a beautiful study of emotions to listeners. Few songwriters capture the genuine spirit and sound of Molina's slow folk rock. A modern Neil Young? No, a man in a league of his own. Thank you and rest well, Jason. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Either this or Magnolia Electric Co....maybe both? I wouldn't complain.

Nice enough

Not a thing grabbed me.

Sad-voiced but unique lead vocals. The strain of the lead vocalist’s voice during every song made it a chore to get through. Good lo fi vibe, though.

Slow, doom-folk. Very similar to Bonnie Prince Billy.

me aburrí

Meh. My personal rating: 3/5 My rating relative to the list: 3/5 Should this have been included on the original list? No.

Wow.. Amazing album..

I listened to this and thought “this high quavering tenor is the voice of barely-concealed trauma”. I then read about Jason Molina and saw that he died of alcoholism in 2013. I guess it’s good to always be aware that anyone might be in agony and fighting an invisible battle. Be kind, motherfuckers. Be kind.

I think this was a more even experience, but had lower highs compared to Magnolia Electric Co. Rock solid either way.

Jason Molina is one of my favourite singers and this is one of his most heart-rending performances. Glad that someone else included this great work on here

Stripped back slowcore alt-counyry/folk/Americana. Really rather good. Would listen to more of this.

Did I listen to the same album as everyone else? What I heard was a whiny man child who simultaneously blames women for everything that is wrong and expects them to fix everything. I couldn’t get past the lyrics to enjoy anything of the music.

Found this one a bit dull and boring.

Great selection of a user album. Hard choice between all these S:O's albums but would definitely include this album in my own 1001 list. One of these albums that completely grabs your attention.

Decent post rock - a bit same y after a while but overall enjoyable

Magnolia Electric Co. is one of my favorite albums of all time, so it's great to see some Jason Molina on this list. He has to be one of the greatest songwriters of all time and it's such a shame he died so young. Brilliant, dark, heart-breaking. Definitely a 5/5.

Brilliant

Probably better than the owl one

Hauntingly beautiful songs.

It was the depressing kind of sadness, not the more uplifting kind. Droned on a bit.

Found it kind of morose for today.

I really liked this - I was surprised to never have heard of this before. Started off after the first listen thinking this was a 4 but after listening a second time on my headphones it moved to a 5.

I enjoyed this. Earthy, gloomy stuff that gets a little weighty on the back half, but still really well made. Jason Molina's vocals don't always land well for me, but they suit the general mood of the album. Fave Songs: Nervous Bride, The Black Crow, Lioness, Tigress

I really like this. I've listened to one other album by them (him?) - Magnolia Electric Co. - and always liked it but for some reason never delved deeper into their catalog. It's very intense, reminiscent of Neil Young to some degree, but not an imitation by any means. I didn't know anything about Jason Molina and was sad to see that he died in 2013 as a result of years of alcohol abuse. Such a shame and major loss of a talented man. Thanks for adding this album, random person! 4 stars.

I liked this a lot. Sad bio on the principle artist, a reminder if any such were needed that while all kinds of drugs can mess you up in all kinds of ways, when it comes to killing the body, pound for pound it's still hard to beat a serious alcohol addiction.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor, but boring 2

I've never heard of this but I like it. Only just listened at work with interruptions, but it's miserable and dynamic without sounding like hipster shit. 4/5.

It all went by quickly, and it all sounded emotional (and I always trust Secretly Canadian) but I don't know if it was interesting enough for me to go back to.

I personally found most of this album boring but I can see why it’d be a personal favorite I suppose. Being in love stood out though

Didn't know the artist at all, enjoyed this but definitely have to be in the right mood to listen to this album

Mostly dark and sad songs. Music and lyrics fit well together

Thanks for choosing a 4th studio album. This album seems like a labor and a celebration. He's passionate and dedicated. Being in love doesn't really do much for me. The title track is dark and deep, spiritual. Seems like most of the songs wait about a minute before the vocals come it. Lets those of us late to the game listen without missing much.

This was really amazing. Props to the listener that suggested it. The tracks are well earned sincere escalating pain and sorrow. In tracks like The Black Crow and Tigress, the climb in energy and fierceness is palpable. Though it felt a bit samey through the experience, this was a fantastic discovery.

This was nice and put me onto some Mike Mogis, Bright Eyes, Monsters of Folk kick for the rest of the day

This is a great exercise in how albums meet you where they are. I started listening to this the other day and found it so dull, low key, and QUIET that I was just like "why would anyone like this". I didn't finish. Today I revisited it, with a different mood. I appreciated the mellow approach, and the thoughtful lyrics accompanying calm melodies. Definitely not something you'd throw on at a party or driving in the summer with the top down, but I'm glad I gave it a second shot! 3.5, really, but a low 3.5 so I'm going to round down.

Thought this was an interesting album. Rather melancholy but with strong songwriting that gives a picture book of stories in song. This coming out in 2000 is perfect given a mood of uncertainty and loneliness with the turn of a century. Overall it was a well made album. 6.8/10

Indie rock, alt-country. Muy aburrido. Un 2.

Starts off strong with some bolder instrumentals for a singer-songwriter LP, but quickly fades into quiet ballads without much melodic variation. Credit for the electric guitar tone and impressive vocals, but the overall product just didn't stand out to me

The first Songs: Ohia album I’ve heard other than The Magnolia Brewing Co., which I always thought was the band name with Songs: Ohia being the album name. The fact that Jason Molina seems to have followed that album up with multiple releases under the name The Magnolia Brewing Co. makes this even more confusing Anyway, this was a beautiful album. Very emotional and fragile, basically all just acoustic guitar and vocals, and kind of like a cross between Elliott Smith and Magnetic Fields

Rating: 8/10 Best songs: The black crow, Tigress, Nervous bride, Lioness

This album is fragile, honest, and quietly unsettling. Stripped of any gloss or ornamentation, it feels less like a polished record and more like a collection of diary entries—raw confessions never intended for public eyes. There’s a vulnerability here that borders on voyeuristic; listening feels almost intrusive, as if you’re eavesdropping on someone’s most private moments. Yet, in sharing these intimate stories, the artist crafts a deeply personal and moving experience.

This is the best album of Jason Molina. It's full of tragedy and overwhelming sadness, but also brings a bit of cheerfulness and relief. The title song is one of my favorite songs of all time.