Will Oldham, aka Bonnie “Prince” Billy, aka Bonnie Billy, aka Palace Music, aka Palace Brothers, aka Palace Songs, aka every possible combination of Billy/Palace/Bonnie/Brother/Prince ever, released a substantially different album than its predecessors, Beware, on March 17.
Admittedly, with the exception of Master and Everyone and parts of The Letting Go, not a lot of Billy’s previous albums ever grew on me. Most sound like an irritating breed of Irish and new age folk music, too frequently fed by affected melodies and quasi-biblical references like “thou” and “thee” and “runneth.” So beware to those of you who love his older stuff, for this album shows off a new honkytonk swagger for Billy.
Right off the bat, this brazen shift is an excellent one. “Beware Your Only Friend” opens with strutting guitars and a much brighter Billy, paving the way for what grows into a brilliantly executed album with an extensive stride.
Lyrics aside, Billy’s approach to melody is what makes the vocals in this album so successful. Unlike with his slam-poetry-style rambling in The Letting Go, Billy succeeds in layering surprisingly complex, full-bodied melodies over a honkytonk backdrop without surrendering to gimmicks. Billy’s warm, excellently controlled vocals make Beware his first album that succeeds in flawless melodic execution.
The heart-wrenching instrumentals in “You Can’t Hurt Me Now,” “I Don’t Belong to Anyone,” and “I Won’t Ask Again” constitute the best tracks of the album. Along with shining lap steel guitars, Billy incorporates fiddles, flutes, banjos, and an angelic backup choir that swell with palpable determination. “I Won’t Ask Again” has melancholy, off-kilter fiddles and a strong guitar, while “I Don’t Belong to Anyone” incorporates an unusual combination of accordion and twangy Spanish guitar to buoy up Billy’s downtrodden heart.
Sure, a couple of songs are inevitable hiccups. “You Don’t Love Me” has some pretty lame lyrics (“sometimes you like the smell of me, or how my stomach jiggles”…?), and “My Life’s Work” eventually deteriorates into a nauseating country-western-with-saxophones number. Albums like The Letting Go have a more restrained, poignant atmosphere, but, overall, Beware is full, eloquent, nostalgic, and far more enjoyable than its predecessors.
So beware, for Billy will pierce the soul. This album accesses a throbbing, nostalgic organ of Americana, and the fiddles are poignant enough to make you melt.
Track List
1. Beware Your Only Friend (4:01)
2. You Can’t Hurt Me Now (3:42)
3. My Life’s Work (3:53)
4. Death Final (3:01)
5. Heart’s Arms (3:26)
6. You Don’t Love Me (3:09)
7. You are Lost (2:55)
8. I Won’t Ask Again (4:26)
9. I Don’t Belong to Anyone (3:15)
10. There is Something I have to Say (3:19)
11. I am Goodbye (2:21)
12. Without Work You have Nothing (3:45)
13. Afraid Ain’t Me (4:49)
