I See A Darkness [Vinyl]

Rating

Album: I See A Darkness [Vinyl]
#	Song Title		Time
1)	A Minor Place	More Info...	0:03
2)	Nomadic Revery	More Info...	0:04
3)	I See a Darkness	More Info...	0:05
4)	Another Day Full Of Dread	More Info...	0:03
5)	Death to Everyone	More Info...	0:04
6)	Knockturne	More Info...	0:02
7)	Madeleine - Mary	More Info...	0:02
8)	Song For The New Breed	More Info...	0:03
9)	Today I Was An Evil One	More Info...	0:04
10)	Black	More Info...	0:03
11)	Raining In Darling	More Info...	0:02

Album: I See A Darkness [Vinyl]
#	Song Title		Time
1)	A Minor Place	More Info...	0:03
2)	Nomadic Revery	More Info...	0:04
3)	I See a Darkness	More Info...	0:05
4)	Another Day Full Of Dread	More Info...	0:03
5)	Death to Everyone	More Info...	0:04
6)	Knockturne	More Info...	0:02
7)	Madeleine - Mary	More Info...	0:02
8)	Song For The New Breed	More Info...	0:03
9)	Today I Was An Evil One	More Info...	0:04
10)	Black	More Info...	0:03
11)	Raining In Darling	More Info...	0:02

Performer Notes

Personnel: Will Oldham, Bob Arellano, Colin Gagon, Paul Oldham, Peter Townshend.
After abandoning the Palace moniker for a straight-up solo career, Will Oldham seemed to lose his focus a bit, but rechristened as Bonnie Prince Billy, he's regained it in spades. Where his previous solo efforts sounded thrown-together and lacked real songcraft, I SEE A DARKNESS is probably Oldham's most consistent, rewarding batch of songs since the Palace Brothers '93 debut. For once, the ever-elusive Oldham sounds like he's making a genuine effort to communicate--the relatively straightforward (but still poetic) lyrics, nicely arranged (but still lo-fi) sonic backdrops, and song structures with hummable (!) choruses are all unprecedented and highly agreeable developments. The titular darkness pervades much of the album, but there's an underlying warmth that shines through, making this an emotionally well-balanced effort.

Professional Reviews

Uncut (5/04, p.89) - "[A]s blackly comic as it was epiphanic..."

Dirty Linen (2-3/00, p.93) - "...Here is Will Oldham again with more name changes and more cryptic packaging. There is a dark quality to the songs....quasiminimalist..."

Q (Magazine) (p.113) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "I SEE A DARKNESS was his masterpiece, ushering in a direct and less mythic style of songwriting."

Mojo (Publisher) (p.65) - Ranked #20 in Mojo's "100 Modern Classics" -- "[With] stronger vocals and sparsely arranged, utterly beautiful melodies."

Mojo (Publisher) (1/99, p.99) - "...harrowing gothic-folk at its darkest. A quiet gem for those chill, midwinter evenings."