In light of the experimentation and cluttered instrumentals that permeate contemporary music (think Passion Pit), Sun Kil Moon, a project from Red House Painters’ Mark Kozelek, bring something unique to the field with their simplicity. Like earlier releases April and Ghosts of the Great Highway, their latest album, Admiral Fell Promises exhibits their raw, lyrical talent and subtle instrumentals. Yet the new work is the very embodiment of minimalism, consisting of Kozelek’s vocals accompanied by a lone, acoustic guitar. Despite the lack of embellishments, Sun Kil Moon pull off another stunning portrayal of human emotion.

Known for his hauntingly beautiful voice, Kozelek continues to convey his troubling memories through lyrical snapshots. In the title track, he sadly admits “a thousand days have passed/in this house she and I were sharing/and I hate myself for it/but I have stopped caring.” This painful nostalgia continues throughout the rest of the album and each memory is signified by a particular place. As a San Francisco native, Kozelek choose to name tracks after Bay Area landmarks, such as Chinatown’s “Sam Wong Hotel” and the intersection of “Third and Seneca.”

Besides the depth of emotion conveyed, Kozelek also shows admirable skill on the guitar from the flamenco-esque “Alesund” to the plucked string work of “Third and Seneca.”

However, many of the songs are too similar. Kozelek tends to stay within a certain range and it feels like he is singing about the same thing, with only subtle variations in guitar lines to account for the differences between tracks. As a result, the album feels like an hour-long song. But it’s difficult not to be drawn in by its emotional intensity and Admiral Fell Promises is a beautiful collection of Kozelek’s travels.