It had been six years since Jason Molina had made a single for his record label, and none had been released as Magnolia Electric Co. Here, the first three songs were written, recorded, and mixed by Molina and Co. during a five-day stay in Bloomington, Ind., where they geared up for their October 2008 tour. “The Compass, the Candle, the Bell” had been recorded a year previously at the same studio and featured the late Evan Farrell. Molina died in March 2013, leaving this behind as one of his last released projects. With a detailed lineup of Molina, Mike Bridavsky, Farrell, Stefan Fuks, Mark Rice, and Pete Schreiner, the Magnolia Electric Co. were at their most collaborative, and the songs do sound more musically alive and even joyous by Molina standards.