Mark Kozelek’s last album as Sun Kil Moon, Benji, finally earned the songwriter the credit that he has long deserved for his compelling canon. Its successor may test the patience of later adopters, switching abruptly between styles and voices, extending diaristic songs past the 10-minute mark and mourning dying possums. Stick with him, though, because Universal Themes is another chapter in the larger work in which the gruff San Franciscan transplant continues to grouse about hipsters (Cry Me A River Williamsburg Sleeve Tattoo Blues), count blessings, and ponders the cruel senselessness of the universe with intermittently startling guitar work.
