Bonnie "Prince" Billy- "Beware'

‘Beware’ is the 8th solo release from Will Oldham’s alter-ego, Bonnie “Prince” Billy. It is perhaps his most ambitious record to date, yet is also a move towards the mainstream.

‘Beware’ is an extremely dense and layered piece of work, fueled by a mixture of alt-country, folk and Americana. It is filled with songs that refuse to fit into set categories, as they shift from a mood of light to dark, strangely evoking both joy and deep agonizing despair.

This album sees Oldham implement a wide range of instrumentation, with opener ‘Beware Your Only Friend’ setting the stage, with its use of sweeping fiddles and female choir. Mostly the wide range of instrumentation on ‘Beware’ complements Oldham’s vocal, though at times the large array of additional vocals tend to swamp Oldham, and he becomes slightly lost amongst them.

Considering the title of the album and the titles of some of the songs you would expect ‘Beware’ to sound very melancholic. As expected, Oldham serves up beautiful lyrics, but they are wrapped in sweeping country melodies and gaudy instrumentation, which is incredibly jarring.

One of the most poignant tracks on the album ‘There Is Something I Have To Say’ takes a more stripped down sound and pares it with Oldham’s lyrics, to leave a hauntingly beautiful song. In complete contrast is next track ‘I Am Goodbye’ which comes along with its jolly country. This is one of the main problems with ‘Beware’, the really good songs lose poignance because what comes either side of them is so cheesy and over the top.

‘Beware’ is an intriguing piece of work, but the problem is that it is not bleak enough, and it lacks an edge. The overall themes of separation and longing dressed up in such gaudy country arrangement just don’t work.

It is ultimately the most stripped down songs on the album, like “I Won’t Ask Again’ which work best. They are still layered but in a way that drives the songs along, rather than assaulting your ears with over arrangement.

‘Beware’ is an ambitious piece of work, but one which doesn’t live up to Oldham’s previous high standards, i’d recommend sticking to his back catalogue.

6/10.

Earth Hour

Blacked out for Earth Hour last night...good to see quite a lot of people getting involved in this.

Pure Reason Revolution- 'Amor Vincit Omnia'

‘Amor Vincit Omnia’- Love Conquers All- is the second release from the hugely talented Pure Reason Revolution. Fans of their first album ‘The Dark Third’ may struggle to recognise the band, as the sound is vastly different from their prog-rock debut.

‘Amor Vincit Omnia’ is light on guitar and extremely heavy on electronic sound. It contains hypnotic melodies and harmonies in abundance. The album is beautifully crafted, every song is layered and meticulously put together, with elements and themes repeated throughout, resulting in an extremely cohesive work.

The change in direction is clear from the outset with the electro-pop opener ‘Les Malheurs’, it’s nothing original, but is a solid track and the album really picks up after this. ‘Apogee/Requiem for the Lovers’ is one of the highlights, showcasing the bands talent for creating haunting melodies; it ends with a beautiful a cappella section. Though the guitar is absent for large chunks of the album, the best tracks like ‘Deus ex Machina’ mix the older guitar riffs with the newer experimental sound. The low point of the album is ‘Disconnect’, which really stands out from the darker moodier work that goes before and after it. ‘The Gloaming’, is an epic track, clocking in at over 9 minutes, it’s beautifully layered and unites the bands prog-past with their experimental present. ‘AVO’ ends the album on a triumphant high, it starts with a beautiful piano hook, and builds to the band repeatedly chanting Amor Vincit Omnia, its haunting, and stays with you for a long time after you’ve heard it.

This album is not ‘The Dark Third’, this is Pure Reason Revolution evolving and growing, sure they may shed some fans with their change in direction, but they are equally likely to gain more with this new sound. It’s a beautifully put together album and one that benefits from listening from beginning to end.
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Pimp My Mower

It emerged today that Leicestershire council have fitted their lawnmowers with sat nav which helps their gardeners find where the grass is too long...Im sorry but have they lost the ability to actually go and check themselves...ridiculous, waste of money.

Can the Coen Brothers Do No Wrong?

Coens have made a short advertisement about the myth of clean coal...brilliant.

Spirit of Fight Club Alive

With this prank it appears there are still some people out there (thankfully) who are willing to make a stand against corporate capitalism, greed and corruption.

Thank Digg for this one

Browsing Digg, i stumbled across this.

This is not Rodney Stranger...obviously!

Clearly you fucktard! Its a furry little hamster, who couldn't look less menacing if he tried.