Search - Bonnie Prince Billy :: I See a Darkness

Still escaping shadow

IRate | 03/21/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Often regarded as his greatest, and can that be blamed? For that rare album, BPB tunes all his minimal elements of alt-country despair deeper, and paired with his fleeting ability here to curb excessive posturing, simply is beautiful in his most selflessly intelligent, and varied way to date. Quite frankly, being as how this was the disc that broke him, it is sad how much more accidentally innovative and mistakenly magical this seems in retrospect when being suckered into damn near his entire catalog, hoping to find a fraction of the "mistakes" as are on here. I should have just stuck with this."

Eerie Hillbilly Comin' Out The Holler...He Stares At You...T

BigCityChicken | Citizen Of The World | 12/31/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First off, if you like Taylor Swift, signed Oprah's no texting pledge and enjoy watching "Dancing With The Stars", you probably won't like this album. Matter of fact, this album will be your personal anti-christ. So don't listen before going to church on Sunday. But I dare you to listen while driving home hazy at 4 am thinking woulda-coulda-shoulda thoughts when drunken spirits are dancing and the girl is crying at the bar and you struck out big time. This album is aural absinthe.



Strange moods this album evokes, usually dark, eerie, weird, out-of-place, awkward, but strangely beautiful too. The soundscape reminds me of a strange man walking through mountain mist, singing to himself...people avoid him because he really has problems. He stares at you and keeps singing. Creepy cool. Wanna see the darkness? The album title is absolutely congruent with the sonics.



This is one of a handful of truly classic releases in the past 10 years. Most people won't understand it, but anyone can feel it. Listen to it to calibrate your emotional gauge. Lay back, clear your head, let the mist enter your ears. If you don't feel a degree of emotional drain, then check your heart, thump it, make sure your still alive.





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