The career and discography of Will Oldham, often known as Bonnie "Prince" Billy, is deep, vast, and often intimidating for new comers to find an entry point (although I, personally, would suggest 1999's landmark I See a Darkness). If you're one of those people who aren't quite sure where to start, his latest single "Crazy Blue Bells," would be as good a place as any. A creaking folk song, Billy's voice quivers with an ache that gives off a wise guise and provides a perfect sonic match to his acoustic guitar. There's a bit of a Belle and Sebastian pop to it, but this is a strong showing from Oldham and one that has invigorated listeners with much anticipation. In addition to the song, there's also a video on which Oldham has stated:
I believe that it is apparent that this piece of work is a celebration of gratitude and collective action. It's a multi-generational, cross-discipline effort with implicit resonances into shared pasts and presents. I met director Ray Tintori when he was a small child and I was a slightly larger child. Participating in this visualization of "Crazy Blue Bells’"with Tintori, producer Julia Simpson, and a massive consortium of creatives is a joy of my life.
His lyrical imagery is as poigniant as ever on this one and the addition of strings under his sharpened voice adds a high-quality texture to the song that springs up with life, giving an extreme sense of belonging and purpose, despite the devastating themes.
Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You is out on August 11.
No comments:
Post a Comment