Bonnie “Prince” Billy - Is It The Sea?

Fourth live offering from alt. folk polymath

BPB, aka Will Oldham, is a busy boy indeed. If he isn’t releasing covers albums or EPs, he’s guesting, acting, snapping away on his camera or just changing his name. He’s like a US Billy Childish – only hushed. Always hushed.

On this (his third album slated for 2008!), we find him playing in the north of England/Scotland on a tour from early 2006. Playing with “Harem Scarem & Alex Neilson” (both Scots), the 13 tracks span the last dozen or so years, but backed by flutes, fiddles (never violins), accordions and more. So Arise Therefore et al become almost heritage pieces from a long forgotten Scot/US past. As usual, Oldham drags the best from his co-performers, seizing on any moments of improv and drawing out spontaneous moments of greatness from the on-the-hoof ensemble. It’s a deep record that’s hard to penetrate fully, but the feel, mood and all-round appreciation of the audience (and band members) just about wins through.

Should he slow down? Can he even slow down? Probably not. Perhaps most of his fans dip into what is a vast amount of work, happy to be far from completists. Perhaps a little bit of BPB is all you need. Strong medicine indeed.

Domino | WIGCD 213

Reviewed by Jake Kennedy
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