DAILY RECORD: Bonnie “Prince” Billy & the Cairo Gang, The Wonder Show Of The World

by | Apr 7, 2010 | MUSIC

Will Oldham, long-associated with dozens of artistic monikers, seems to have settled on both a name under which to record and a more focused approach to songwriting than much of his shambling past efforts. Oldham’s approach to songcraft on his most recent album is less reliant on the monochromatic gloom of such albums as I See A Darkness or the 70s-era Nashville-lite of Sings Greatest Palace Music (both great albums in their own right, each is a fairly single-minded representation of varied facets of the Oldham sound).

Will Oldham, long-associated with dozens of artistic monikers, seems to have settled on both a name under which to record and a more focused approach to songwriting than much of his shambling past efforts. Oldham’s approach to songcraft on his most recent album is less reliant on the monochromatic gloom of such albums as I See A Darkness or the 70s-era Nashville-lite of Sings Greatest Palace Music (both great albums in their own right, each is a fairly single-minded representation of varied facets of the Oldham sound).

The Wonder Show of the World possesses all the sadness of Oldham’s darker work, yet rarely dips into a minor key, instead focusing on the strained interactions to which humans subject themselves, with an eye for blunt detail recalling Raymond Carver. This bluntness, however, is mitigated somewhat by the overall gentleness of the album. Bathed in cathedrals of reverb, Oldham’s voice floats gently over sparse instrumentation, with guitars and occasional drums hanging back in the mix as if to avoid interrupting the sonic austerity. For a comparison not originating in Oldham’s back catalogue, The Wonder Show of the World sounds roughly like listening to Neil Young after drinking several bottles of cough syrup – at its worst, a rehash of the musical territory Oldham has been treading for two decades now, albeit with nearly every trace of a rough edge smoothed away, but at its best a reminder of Oldham’s ability to imbue even the most minimal arrangements with a maximum emotional punch and to cohesively combine seemingly disparate experiences: alienation and attraction, condemnation and repentance, arousal and terror. A lesser songwriter might trade in the dichotomies of such pairings, but Oldham’s songs present no division – there is no cliched thin line between love and hate presented here, only the amorphous gray area of every disconsolate and uncomfortable situation which shapes the human experience. – Graham Scala

R. Anthony Harris

R. Anthony Harris

I created Richmond, Virginia’s culture publication RVA Magazine and brought the first Richmond Mural Project to town. Designed the first brand for the Richmond’s First Fridays Artwalk and promoted the citywide “RVA” brand before the city adopted it as the official moniker. I threw a bunch of parties. Printed a lot of magazines. Met so many fantastic people in the process. Professional work: www.majormajor.me




more in music

Oktoberfest at Maymont! A Friend and a Stein is Mighty Fine

This year’s autumn equinox was ushered in with cool temperatures in Richmond. The weather app and sky spoke in cautious portents as they told a story of Tropical Storm Ophelia’s coming rain. Ophelia had not yet arrived to crash the party by the time that I had decided...

Wild Love, John Prine Memorial & Desert Beagles: Sound Check

No matter the tastes of music lovers in this city, there is something for everyone this week. An overwhelming amount of pop music will be passing through (and additionally is on my mind as I will talk about later), so I'll be bringing you the information on my...

On The Streets Of Downtown RVA: Hip Hop Henry

We dispatched our hometown photographer, CJ Payne, to the heart of the city to capture a snapshot and engage in some casual conversation. Consider it our local twist on the acclaimed Humans of New York series that we hold in high regard. Our aim is to foster a sense...

Richmond’s Underground EDM Scene Gains New Ground

For those already hip to electronic dance music, and all it's extreme sub-genres, we know that there aren't that many venues around town hopping on to host your shows. With the addition of Ember Music Hall to the lineup of performance spots in town who have been...

Teddy Swims, Benét & Kidz At Play: This Week’s Sound Check

I'm really feeling all the r&b and hip hop out in the city these days, and there's enough of it across the spectrum to satisfy anybody with the hint of a craving to check some out. On this week's SOUND CHECK we take a look at Tuesday at The National, where rising...

RIFF Founder Heather Waters on Her Journey To Get Here

We kick off our RIFF coverage this year with an interview with Heather Waters, founder of the Richmond International Film Festival (RIFF). She transitioned from performing to producing, sharing her journey in our recent interview. RIFF, now in its 12th year, is a...

Topics:

Pin It on Pinterest