Bonnie "Prince" Billy - The Letting Go

Conjuring images of everyone from Leonard Cohen to Nick Drake to Smog, The Letting Go feels familiar from the first moment you hear it. However, the root of this familiarity stems not from musical influences, but from an overall feeling of warmth that flows through each of the tracks. The album is filled with autumnal themes - you can feel the cold breeze blowing in, see the leaves darkening and dying, and winter is on its way, but Will Oldham is that welcome bit of warmth on the overcast day.

At the core of the album is Will with his stark guitar and whisky warmed voice, which have found their place among swells of dark strings, ramshackle percussion, and the dissonant, but not jarring, background vocals of Faun Fables. On the opening track, in the midst of legato strings and haunting accompaniment, Will tells the listener that "God is dead," but he says it with a pat on the back. It is not a proclamation or a threat; it is Will offering you his experience and advice. He has long ago realized that God is not going to save him and now he is sitting the listener down and breaking the news.

Will is the wise old man, the new parent, and the broken hearted boy all at the same time. It is a subtle and complex album that may not drag you in, but will always be there when you need it.


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