Bonnie “Prince” Billy – Beware (Drag City) review by Robert Ham
It only took the better part of 15 years and almost one hundred singles, EPs and albums, but it seems Will Oldham – better known to the musical world as Bonnie “Prince” Billy – is ready to take a step into the limelight. He’s allowed himself to be profiled in The New Yorker, recently announced that he’s airing commercials to promote his latest album, Beware, on cable channels like Oxygen and BET and has even filmed a bona fide (though willfully idiosyncratic) video for a track from the new disc, “I Am Goodbye”.
Then there’s the album itself, which turns out to be filled with some of the warmest and engaging work that Oldham has done to date. On Beware, he sonically nods to country stars like George Jones and Porter Wagoner, adding lush backing vocals and aching strings to his songs of desperation and romantic longing. He still adds his own arch touches like a glib spoken word bit on “Without Word, You Have Nothing” and bleating saxophone and phased out guitar lines sprinkled throughout. It’s a nice note of reassurance that no matter how many fans this album might garner Oldham, he’s still going to remain his same quirky self.
I think that Bonnie has used ads on cable channels loads of times before, and there’s always at least one bona fide video to accompany the ’single’ off a new album. One of the laast ones had Neil Hamburger in it.
But yes, a good album.
March 18th, 2009 at 4:02 am