Bonnie Prince Billy: The Letting Go
Label: Drag City
After getting rowdy for two albums, Bonnie “Prince” Billy returns to the melancholic moan that made him famous. This time, though, the backing’s a little fancier, with a string quartet making many tracks absolutely gorgeous. And the backing vocals of Dawn McCarthy (also credited with arrangements) are so crucial that at times she’s nearly a duet partner, her cool pure voice the perfect complement to Will Oldham’s cracked charm. With Oldham’s songwriting as eccentrically evocative as always, this ranks among his finest albums under the Bonnie “Prince” Billy monicker.
