Prince of Tides

Listening to the first half of Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s The Letting Go is like the suddeness of a bitterly cold wave crashing against your body as you lie in otherwise pleasant sand. For those first few tracks, the swooping strings beat out Van Dyke Parks’ work on Joanna Newsom’s Ys for the year’s best arrangements, and Dawn McCarthy’s counterpoint melodies are unpredictable and gorgeous; it’s almost as if she and Will Oldham tracked their vocals in seperate studios. The rest of the album is less jarring, but certainly no less impressive. But then, that’s to be expected. I’ve been waiting for quite some time to discuss this record here in public; Will Oldham is one of my favorite musicians, especially under his Billy moniker, and it’s taking a while to sink in. I wanted to do the man justice — the album certainly does.

Bonnie “Prince” Billy – “Cursed Sleep”: mp3
Bonnie “Prince” Billy – “Love Comes To Me: mp3

(Buy from Drag City Records)