One of the
aspects that has always attracted me to alternative country as a music genre is
its penchant for sadness. It is a very relatable emotion, and in difficult
times, it can be a relief to know that you are not the only one struggling. The
late Jason Molina was the master of the despondent song, leaving us with a
collection of very personal songs chronicling his own battle with depression. His
songs came from a very real place, his struggle with depression leading to alcoholism,
and his death from liver failure last year.
The song “It’s
Easier Now” comes from his second album under his own name, Let Me Go, Let Me Go, Let Me Go. The
song is filled with evocative imagery, as Jason was always known for: “Torn
apart moon in an empty room.” But it is also one of the most crushingly disheartening
songs in his catalog, the line "It's easier now. And I just say I got
better" gets me every time. The song’s protagonist has come to the
conclusion that it is easier to just lie to his loved ones and tell them that
he has surmounted his personal struggles than it is to tell them about the pain
he is is going through.
I can only
hope that Jason has found peace.
