Magnolia Electric Co. leading man Jason Molina speaks volumes with his tortured croon, without even actually saying anything. On “Don’t Fade on Me,” the somber opener of this second proper album under the MagCo. moniker, Molina sing-hollers, “You faded on me!” He could be addressing a former lover or a recently deceased family member, but the sentiment is so strong listeners will likely feel the sudden need to apologize for lacking the strength to pull through. Even though it’s not their problem. Molina revels in this aura of mystique on Fading Trails, consistently referring to roads, ghosts and other typically lonesome images. But unlike previous MagCo. releases, it finally feels like the band has achieved a unifying cohesiveness. While we may not understand Molina’s fragile headspace, Magnolia Electric Co. is starting to make sense. It’ll be exciting to see what the band does next.