Bonnie Prince Billy and Matt Sweeney SUPERWOLF (2005)

I was introduced to the work of Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy (also known as Will Oldham, Palace Brothers, Palace Music and so on) around the year this album was released, and the majority of music he has produced did not stick with me nearly as much as Superwolf has. Guitarist Matt Sweeney somehow managed to take Oldham’s music from average weirdo indie singer songwriter to perfection.

Superwolf plays like a classic film, going through every dramatic emotion possible in the span of 41 minutes. The opening track “My Home is the Sea” includes the most beautiful guitar work heard on any Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy album to date. Lyrically there are still the signature strange lyrics Oldham is known for “and I love my tummy/it’s round and firm and funny/that’s what I am” (?) but they are book-ended by some of his strongest lyrics and by far the most beautiful melodies his collaborations have ever produced. It also features what is probably my favorite BPB song lyrically – “Blood Embrace” which sounds exactly as deceptive and dark as being cheated on feels. In this song they sample from a scene from the revenge film Rolling Thunder (1977) which was written by one of the best screenwriters out there – Paul Schrader -when he was in his prime.

The only sub-par track on this album is “I Gave You” which begins with some of his worst lyrics (“I gave you a child/and you didn’t want it/that’s the most that I have to give”) along with rather forgettable music. It is a throwaway track that should have been cut. Ending with “Death in the Sea” would have been a much stronger way of wrapping up the overall theme.

Records that work as full stories are rare, as in most cases the songs stand alone and removed from the whole which is part of why the album format is no longer appreciated. Oldham and Sweeney managed to create a true to form album with Superwolf, and if you only own one Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy record, this is the one to have (although I See A Darkness definitely gives it a run for its money).

Best Tracks: My Home Is The Sea and Blood Embrace