October 28, 2011

Album Review: Bonnie Prince Billy - 'Wolfroy Goes To Town'

An absolute, unerring joy

Album Info

Release Date: October 7, 2011
Producer: Danny Kiely
Label: Domino
Fact: The album booklet contains an illustrated character 'Wolfroy', who guides us through the record

8 / 10 There’s something about this album that feels like Will Oldham revisiting the desolate, dream-like hinterlands of his late ’90s ‘Palace’ period. But instead of the shaky-voiced child-man caught between the lonely drip, drip, drip of the whisky bottle and the lone beat of his broken heart, he’s returned fully formed and phoenix-like. Aided by vocalist Angel Olsen, who provides an excellent, Linda Ronstadt-ish counterpoint to his increasingly gruff-sounding vocal, this is perhaps his strongest and most consistent collection for years. Songs like the slow burning ‘New Tibet’ are eye-moisteningly beautiful things. In fact, the entire thing is an absolute, unerring joy.

Priya Elan