Bonnie 'Prince' Billy I See A Darkness CD

Personnel: Will Oldham, Bob Arellano, Colin Gagon, Paul Oldham, Peter Townshend.
Audio Mixer: David Pajo.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy's album I See a Darkness seems to pick up where Will Oldham's 1997 album Joya left off; a more melodic style than the veteran Palace listener might be used to. Oldham definitely hasn't abandoned his foundation of mordant lyrics and minimalist arrangements, but he has built a variety of different layers that make this album an emotional and pleasurable listening experience. In "Nomadic Revery," Oldham draws upon his classic Appalachian sound; it's the kind of song that begs you to join in. Oldham has always given the kind of energy to his character's voices that most people are afraid to relate to. This is all too evident in "Death to Everyone," Oldham punches out his bitter poetry in his most somber voice. The album takes its most surprising turn on "Madeleine-Mary," a Celtic-style folk song set to a Rastafarian guitar sound. "Today I Was an Evil One" introduces a horn section that drives home his morbid words in a strangely elegant manner. The album closes with a short and rare love song called "Raining in Darling"; Oldham stretches his voice to its most impressive limits, and the number is touching and hopeful. ~ Gregg Rounds
After abandoning the Palace moniker for a straight-up solo career, Will Oldham seemed to lose his focus a bit, but rechristened as Bonnie Prince Billy, he's regained it in spades. Where his previous solo efforts sounded thrown-together and lacked real songcraft, I SEE A DARKNESS is probably Oldham's most consistent, rewarding batch of songs since the Palace Brothers '93 debut. For once, the ever-elusive Oldham sounds like he's making a genuine effort to communicate--the relatively straightforward (but still poetic) lyrics, nicely arranged (but still lo-fi) sonic backdrops, and song structures with hummable (!) choruses are all unprecedented and highly agreeable developments. The titular darkness pervades much of the album, but there's an underlying warmth that shines through, making this an emotionally well-balanced effort.Uncut (5/04, p.89) - "[A]s blackly comic as it was epiphanic..."
Dirty Linen (2-3/00, p.93) - "...Here is Will Oldham again with more name changes and more cryptic packaging. There is a dark quality to the songs....quasiminimalist..."
Mojo (Publisher) (p.65) - Ranked #20 in Mojo's "100 Modern Classics" -- "[With] stronger vocals and sparsely arranged, utterly beautiful melodies."
Mojo (Publisher) (1/99, p.99) - "...harrowing gothic-folk at its darkest. A quiet gem for those chill, midwinter evenings."