Will Oldham’s approach to music has never been that of a typical
singer-songwriter, be it his attitude, style or sound. Under his
various Palace monikers, he perfected a strange and mysterious
faux-Appalachian indie-country sound and image, which reached a classic
peak with 1999’s I See a Darkness, his first album under the
Bonnie “Prince” Billy moniker. Heck, Johnny Cash was so impressed that
he covered the title track as a duet with Oldham.
Things took an interesting turn with last year’s rather dull Lie
Down in the Light. With Beware, Oldham picks up where Lie
Down left off, with more traditional country thrown in, often
sounding a bit like 2004’s revisionist faux pas Sings Greatest
Palace Music.
A majority of the tracks here are so straight-up country that
longtime fans might wonder if Oldham has moved from his hometown of
Louisville, Ky., to Nashville, Tenn., or if he’s started hanging out at
the Grand Ole Opry. This isn’t to say there aren’t some familiar
Oldham-sounding moments; there just are not enough to stand on their
own.
This comes as a surprise, as recent collaborations with the likes of
Matt Sweeney (2005’s Superwolf), Tortoise (2006’s The Brave
and the Bold) and current touring violinist Cheyenne Mize (this
year’s Among the Gold EP) have yielded some of the most vibrant
and interesting stuff of his career.
Perhaps he has gotten too good at what he does, and/or this is just
the natural progression of Oldham’s voice and technique—but
here’s hoping the next one doesn’t sound so phoned in.
This article appears in Apr 30 – May 6, 2009.
