Down Colorful Hill (studio album) by Red House Painters

Red House Painters were lightning in a bottle from day one, and their debut record is a testament to Kozelek's early genius. Although Kozelek himself dislikes the album's reverb and echo-heavy mix, it is what drew me to this strange, marvellous, enchanting LP, especially the song Medicine Bottle, which is an almost 10 minute opus and one of their best tracks.

This is quite amazing album, very slow but displaying such raw and relatable emotions with outstanding songwriting that it's almost impossible to not like this.

From Jboy56 04/21/2022 07:51

Beautiful and moody. SOme songs are a a bit too long.

It's hard to reconcile what an asshole Mark Kozelek is with how beautiful this album is. Because with The Smiths I can believe that the emotion is to a a certain point faked, but not here, this sensitivity can't be more real. People are complex I guess.

This album creates a great atmosphere and really engulfs you in the feelings of the artist. It is difficult to not feel melancholy when listening to this record which is due to the brilliant atmosphere created and the lyrics too. Both of these are very strong and really carry the album for me. I am also very fond of the vocal performance. 24 and Medicine Bottle are possibly two of the best RHP songs ever released and they draw me back to this album time and time again. While the other 4 songs aren't up to this standard there is still a few more decent songs such as Japanese To English. This record can feel a little slow at times though and once you are passed the brilliant first half you can get sucked out of the album a couple of times. Overall, a very emotional album that is also thoroughly enjoyable to listen too.

From luigybetis 05/20/2018 14:22

Beautiful album, it gets some listens to get used to it though. 8/10.

Nothing beats listening to this album snugly in a cozy bedroom as waves of melancholy and the deepest sense of disappointment wash over your reclusive husk

From exileonthehell 03/22/2016 21:52

The self-titled is touching

Absolutely beautiful! 24 and Medicine Bottle are simply perfect, definitely an underrated masterpiece!!!

Sadness becomes music in this truly emotional album by Red House Painters: they managed to take inspiration from previous works by other great slo core bands, such as Talk Talk or Slint and converge their influences in a way that touches the heart and soul.