Superwolf is one of my favorite records! I "virtually received" a copy of the new record and am listening to it since. I think it´s very good, and i like the rich instrumentation and everything.

Seen him live with Matt Sweeney at last years Montreux Jazz Festival. Devendra Benhart, Coco Rosie and Joanna Newsom played as well. Would have been so nice to be able to skip Banhart.

Isabelle Gall wrote:Crap. He can admittedly write a very pretty tune, like 'I Am a Cinematographer' or 'Long Before', but if you're going to make music which is supposedly authentic and heartfelt, it helps if you're sincere too. As there is no real content which I can discern, only style, i'm afraid I can't believe a word of what he says/sings. Pure musical novelty I would imagine to a very large proportion of his fanbase.

File next to your bullshit Tom Waits, Beck and Nick Cave Records.

I am reminded of one of Mr Oldham's finer songs, "Antagonism".

You remind me a lot of the review I read of a live Smog show which repeatedly stated that Smog was a "miserablist" and therefore shouldn't even approach "heartfelt". You speak similar bullshit. People are sometimes heartfelt, sometimes cynical. Oldham's lyrics are often about as honest and lucid as can be:

I hate myself when I'm alone
It's just with you I feel okay
And so tomorrow you'll fell sorrow
When I am gone at break of day

or

Darling
I can stay awake all night
But I would make mistakes alright
And the body asks so much

or

a million other examples.

simmo wrote:People are sometimes heartfelt, sometimes cynical.

Thanks. It never had occured to me.

Simmo, I believe you when you say that you think Will Oldham is a great artist. I think you deserve a lot better, but it doesn't necessarily trouble me that you like him (although for some reason it seems to upset you that I personally do not). I bought and listened to every Palace album and single as they were released, right from the initial 'Ohio River Boat Song' 7" on Drag City, up to 'Lost Blues and Other Songs', and was eventually able to make an informed opinion of his work. The overly stylised lyrics, like the two examples you posted, and his terrible fake-o-voice, combined with the fact that he uses his songs to cultivate a mythological persona for himself, leaves me with a hollow, empty feeling every time I hear a song by him. I personally believe that there is very little personal, emotional investment in his songs, which people often believe to be the very excavation of his soul or somesuch.
For the record, I don't think that either Bill Callahan or Will Oldham are miserabilists, although i'd say that Bill is a far superior songwriter and performer.

I had no intention of patronizing you there, sorry. I was just trying to make a simple point clearly.

I couldn't give a wet slap whether you like Will Oldham or not. What I find bizarre is the idea that someone would spend 15 years writing decidedly un-commercial songs that contained little emotional investment. What would be this person's motivation? Why would you do that? I can't comprehend this idea. There are many, many songwriters whose songs I find terrible, but I'm loathe to suppose that they don't invest emotion in what they're doing. That would just be weird.

You can download 4 recently recorded Bonnie Billy songs here:

http://www.daytrotter.com/article/231/f ... ince-billy

I just recieved a copy of Superwolf and it has been the only thing in my stereo for a while. So not crap. does anyone know if it's mainly Sweeny playing guitar on this?

Ease down the road is pretty good too. everything i've heard i liked.

Tony wrote:You can download 4 recently recorded Bonnie Billy songs here:

http://www.daytrotter.com/article/231/f ... ince-billy

fucking awesome, thanks.

Sverige wrote:I just recieved a copy of Superwolf and it has been the only thing in my stereo for a while. So not crap. does anyone know if it's mainly Sweeny playing guitar on this?

It's all Sweeney.

Isabelle Gall wrote:I bought and listened to every Palace album and single as they were released, right from the initial 'Ohio River Boat Song' 7" on Drag City, up to 'Lost Blues and Other Songs', and was eventually able to make an informed opinion of his work. The overly stylised lyrics, like the two examples you posted, and his terrible fake-o-voice, combined with the fact that he uses his songs to cultivate a mythological persona for himself, leaves me with a hollow, empty feeling every time I hear a song by him. I personally believe that there is very little personal, emotional investment in his songs, which people often believe to be the very excavation of his soul or somesuch.

I stayed with him until "I See A Darkness", and I agree with much of what you say here, Isabelle Gall.

And another thing: He seems to not have the slightest idea about song arrangement. The songs just sit there. I guess the music is just a vehicle for lyrics, the way a lot of early Dylan songs are, so it doesn't matter.

As to the question of level of personal/emotional investment in his work- Will Oldham has played around with this a lot (look at all the changes of name/persona/identity). I just don't find anything compelling about his particular obfuscations.

Hey, many great artists have made great art where a sense of personal/emotional investment is all but nonexistent. And many artists who really, really mean it have sucked shit in the past, and continue to suck shit now. I don't feel that anything is added or subtracted to the songs if Palace or Will Oldham or Push or Bonnie "Prince" Billy or Doug Douglas McDoug is writing and singing them. Just write better songs. And sing them better.

Anyway- Will Oldham is nowhere near a great artist, but at the same time I can't go so far as to call him a charlatan on the Tom Waits or Beck level.

I can go so far as to call CRAP, though.