Bonnie “Prince” Billy - The Letting Go
“Lush” is not an adjective usually associated with Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s music—his body of work is characteristically bleak and sincerely emotional. On his last studio album, “Master and Everyone”, his sparse musical arrangements served to highlight his weary, passionate voice and poetic lyrics, but on his latest effort, “The Letting Go”, he takes a different approach. The album was recorded in Iceland, with the help of former Bjork collaborator Nico Muhly and Drag City label mate Dawn McCarthy. The influence of both is immense—Muhly’s rich, sweeping string arrangements and McCarthy’s vocal harmonies permeate the album, revealing lavishness not usually present in Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s music. Despite its beauty, the musical arrangement on “The Letting Go” is not necessarily an improvement on previous albums, namely “I See a Darkness” and his work under the moniker of “Palace Music”. The strings and harmonies distract the listener from what has always been the best part of Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s music—the raw humanity of his voice and lyrics. The substance is still present on the new album, but it is certainly not as immediately evident as it has been. Despite this shortcoming, “The Letting Go” is a fine addition to an already phenomenal body of work and it certainly warrants repeated listenings.
4/5
For Fans of: Cat Power, The Silver Jews, Neil Young, Lambchop
- Bryan Sonderman