Some artists possesss such a singular musical vision that it's hard to keep a new release from being viewed in the context of their previous discography. And from his earliest releases, Will Oldham has commanded the stage in a way that few artists can. From Palace on through his current Bonnie Prince Billy moniker, Oldham has lovingly crafted stories of the faithless, the troubled, the downright evil, without ever breaking character and without sacrificing the indominable musical sense of direction that has fueled all his records. As was evident on his inital offering Days In The Wake, it's clear that Oldham cares about these characters, while also trying to undertand their motivations. His songs simply relate; they don't judge nor offer easy answers. And when he's let his guard down, he's produced songs of such emotional intensity that it's difficult to reconcile the darker cynicism of albums like I See A Darkness with the hopeful singer of "Just To See My Holly Home" from Ease Down The Road. But of his many layered talents, this ability to juggle disparate personalities and viewpoints have made Oldham one of the most relevant artists working in music in the past 20 years.
That relevancy shows no signs of stopping as Oldham has dug further into his own subconscious and found a newfound confidence which has allowed him to come at his usual cast of characters in a new and ceatively tangential way. On Wolfroy Goes To Town, he strips back the production which had become more prominent over the course of his last few albums and allows the narrative to dominate these songs, though the plaintive acoustic renderings of most of these songs never dims. Opener "No Match" has Oldham taking stock of his beliefs while a strong, though humble, acoustic guitar anchors the spiritual examinations. While "Quail and Dumplings", with its common Oldham use of antiquated language, tells the story of a hopeful narrator pushed tight against tough times, left unsure as to his success in providing for those he loves. The bare acoustics and rumbling bass which highlight these songs take the listener's focus away from what could have been unfairly viewed as overly skeletal arrangements and allows that focus to sit squarely on the struggles and tentative joy of these characters. With Wolfroy Goes To Town, Oldham has shown that he is indeed the master of these woeful story-songs. And that the dichotomy of personalities on display across his numerous releases is not a simple by-product but is part of a concerted effort of Oldham's to allow the very distinct parts of his own subconscious to have free reign over his music.
Tracklisting:
01. No Match (listen to the mp3 below)
02. New Whaling
03. Time To Be Clear
04. New Tibet
05. Black Captain
06. Cows
07. There Will Be Spring
08. Quail and Dumplings
09. We Are Unhappy
10. Night Noises
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