Bonnie 'Prince' Billy: Beware

Label: Drag City

The longer he runs with his Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy quasi-persona, the more natural and free Will Oldham sounds. Because his songs (not just as Billie) have so powerfully mixed humor, sex talk and an unbound Ameri-arcana, many fans have come to feel suspicious of Oldham’s motives. Oh irony, up yours (already)! Read the recent profile in The New Yorker, or the even more recent cover story in The Wire, and a different portrait emerges: that of a genuine artist every bit striding down the Discovery Trail with his music, much as his listeners are. Don’t be afraid to take Beware at face value: Lyrically and musically, Oldham is at his most direct and classical (in a country style, that is), and in fullest voice too. Also in a special version with a 10-inch vinyl of bonus tracks, a free download of the full-length and additional artwork. (M.L. Thrope)