Album: Lie Down In The Light
Artist: Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
Its title alone, Lie Down In The Light, suggests it's a very different record to I See A Darkness, contrasting the melancholy with a celebration of life's little pleasures, such as the company of friends and music. Produced by Lambchop's Mark Nevers, the album has a strong country flavour and lovely instrumental cameos, such as the jazz clarinet on For Every Field There's A Mole and the violin solo on You Remind Me Of Something (The Glory Goes). The latter is one of the record's highlights, a tribute to the "song that never ends" (life, love), with its line, "You remind me of something / the song that I am / and you sing me back into myself". There's a sense of renewal, a sort of stoic positivity, in many of the songs; another of my favourites is You Want That Picture, on which Oldham spars with female vocalist Ashley Webber. There's a verse in that song that genuinely moves me when I hear it: "Well, it's true that I cried / but then I went outside / and I stood very still in the night / and I looked at the sky / and knew someday I'd die / and then everything would be alright". A simple sentiment, but expressed so clearly and honestly and paired brilliantly with the steel pedal guitar. I also like the old gospel sound of opener Easy Does It, and the ancient quality to much of his songwriting (like the phrase, "keep eye on other's gain"). The album cover was designed by his mother, Joanne Oldham, and depicts the Biblical scene of Jacob Wrestling with the Angel. In turn, many of the lyrics (especially For Every Field There's A Mole) have a religious tone, almost as if this album sees Oldham wrestling with his own demons and finding peace with them.
Born: Louisville, Kentucky
Released: May 2008
Genre: Americana
Folk music has been in slow decline since the electric folk revival of the 1970s, but there have been a few practitioners to emerge in recent decades that have updated the genre for modern listeners. Notable examples are James Yorkston and Alasdair Roberts in Scotland, but also American Will Oldham, who has released most of his records as Bonnie "Prince" Billy, but also put out LPs in the 90s under his own name, as well as Palace Brothers and Palace Music. His first record as Bonnie "Prince" Billy is also one of his most acclaimed, I See A Darkness (1999), a subtly new style of folk with a strong gothic edge, full of archaic language and obscure allusions, as well as macabre tales. Musically it's very spare, just the odd tinkle of piano chords, light guitar strumming and brushed drums, and in this way it's similar in style to other contemporary folk & country musicians, like Bill Callahan (Smog). This minimalism puts the focus on Oldham's brittle singing voice and the vulnerable lyrics, and many of his records explore his fears of dying. Johnny Cash covered the title track to memorable effect on his American III: Solitary Man (2000) album, while Oldham also released a new version of the song (with accompanying video, see below) for his 2012 EP, Now Here's My Plan. With this new version, Oldham's desire seems to be to subvert the portentousness of the original and turn it into a lighthearted hoedown. This is a feature I like about his later albums (though of course I prefer the original version of I See A Darkness); his music and lyrics are now more nuanced, mixing the melancholy with humour.
Folk music has been in slow decline since the electric folk revival of the 1970s, but there have been a few practitioners to emerge in recent decades that have updated the genre for modern listeners. Notable examples are James Yorkston and Alasdair Roberts in Scotland, but also American Will Oldham, who has released most of his records as Bonnie "Prince" Billy, but also put out LPs in the 90s under his own name, as well as Palace Brothers and Palace Music. His first record as Bonnie "Prince" Billy is also one of his most acclaimed, I See A Darkness (1999), a subtly new style of folk with a strong gothic edge, full of archaic language and obscure allusions, as well as macabre tales. Musically it's very spare, just the odd tinkle of piano chords, light guitar strumming and brushed drums, and in this way it's similar in style to other contemporary folk & country musicians, like Bill Callahan (Smog). This minimalism puts the focus on Oldham's brittle singing voice and the vulnerable lyrics, and many of his records explore his fears of dying. Johnny Cash covered the title track to memorable effect on his American III: Solitary Man (2000) album, while Oldham also released a new version of the song (with accompanying video, see below) for his 2012 EP, Now Here's My Plan. With this new version, Oldham's desire seems to be to subvert the portentousness of the original and turn it into a lighthearted hoedown. This is a feature I like about his later albums (though of course I prefer the original version of I See A Darkness); his music and lyrics are now more nuanced, mixing the melancholy with humour.
Its title alone, Lie Down In The Light, suggests it's a very different record to I See A Darkness, contrasting the melancholy with a celebration of life's little pleasures, such as the company of friends and music. Produced by Lambchop's Mark Nevers, the album has a strong country flavour and lovely instrumental cameos, such as the jazz clarinet on For Every Field There's A Mole and the violin solo on You Remind Me Of Something (The Glory Goes). The latter is one of the record's highlights, a tribute to the "song that never ends" (life, love), with its line, "You remind me of something / the song that I am / and you sing me back into myself". There's a sense of renewal, a sort of stoic positivity, in many of the songs; another of my favourites is You Want That Picture, on which Oldham spars with female vocalist Ashley Webber. There's a verse in that song that genuinely moves me when I hear it: "Well, it's true that I cried / but then I went outside / and I stood very still in the night / and I looked at the sky / and knew someday I'd die / and then everything would be alright". A simple sentiment, but expressed so clearly and honestly and paired brilliantly with the steel pedal guitar. I also like the old gospel sound of opener Easy Does It, and the ancient quality to much of his songwriting (like the phrase, "keep eye on other's gain"). The album cover was designed by his mother, Joanne Oldham, and depicts the Biblical scene of Jacob Wrestling with the Angel. In turn, many of the lyrics (especially For Every Field There's A Mole) have a religious tone, almost as if this album sees Oldham wrestling with his own demons and finding peace with them.
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