As a folk music enthusiast, Bonnie “Prince” Billy has been like a ghost haunting me for the past two decades.
Will Oldham, who has performed as Bonnie “Prince” Billy and various forms of Palace — including Palace Music, Palace Brothers and Palace Songs — since 1993, released his 22nd studio album “The Purple Bird” Jan. 31 via No Quarter.
His punk-rock approach to folk, shrouded in mystery like his various stage names, has intrigued me for years.
For my first review of his work for The High Note, I chose his foray into country music.
Paired with producer David “Ferg” Ferguson and what he calls “the best band you can get in Nashville right now,” along with country singer John Anderson and mandolin player Tim O’Brien, the album blends folk, country, blues and rock ‘n’ roll with poetic storytelling.
Beginning with “Turned To Dust (Rolling On),” the album appeals to country twang and patriotic themes in the chorus:
“Rolling on,
It won’t be long till we’re gone
Turned to dust
In God we trust
We’re rolling on.”
The album takes a darker tone on “London May,” with wry songwriting shimmering like moonlight on a wooded creek. The first chorus strikes with the line “Death looks in the window as only death must,” before picking up tempo to match Billy with female vocals and fiddle that blend with the stark piano opener.
He playfully tackles country tropes on “Tonight With The Dogs I’m Sleeping,” complete with ringing phones and whistles. The track showcases Billy’s best performance yet on this tale of a boys’ night gone awry:
“Sitting at the bar with a drink or two
Telephone rings, and it’s you-know-who
You know who’s a-gonna get his ass chewed tonight
Never liked sleeping out in the yard
But crawling up the stairs is too damn hard
Besides, I don’t think I can make it that far
I’m sleeping with the dogs tonight.”
He shifts to sentimental tones for “Boise, Idaho,” about a lover who refuses to return home.
O’Brien’s bluegrass influence shines on “The Water’s Fine,” which resonates particularly with this Atlantic City native:
“When happiness seems out of reach
There’s a lot of good times down on the beach
Take off your wig, take off your clothes, honey
And go down to the ocean, get thе sand in your toes”
The aquatic theme continues with “New Water,” which introduces a new vocalist and horns. A beautiful fiddle punctuates my favorite verse:
“For a swim, I’d barter, for a swim
I’d trade my own mother in
If you’d point me to a shore, boy, it would take nothing more
To get me frolicking and splashing within”
The water motif flows “Downstream” with John Anderson:
“What’s in the water? What’s in the wind?
The weather is wilder than it’s ever been
The ocean’s still blue, but it ain’t what it seems
It’s time to remember that we all live downstream”
An accordion leads “Guns Are For Cowards,” a playful take on revenge that channels spaghetti Western vibes.
“One of These Days (I’m Gonna Spend the Whole Night With You)” echoes classic George Jones-style country love songs, ending with the clever line “Yes, your worries and cares about me will be gone by the end of this silly old song.”
The album closes with the bluegrass romp “Our Home,” reminiscent of Old Crow Medicine Show, featuring the refrain “That’s how we make it our home.” A great bridge leads into a fiddle solo:
“Stare at the sunset and not at the wall
Winter and spring and summer and fall
Answer the door when your friends come to call
There’s not that much to it, no real work at all.”
On “The Purple Bird,” Bonnie “Prince” Billy takes listeners on a southern journey with authentic storytelling that tugs at bluegrass strings and heartstrings alike.
Get “The Purple Bird” from Bandcamp, No Quarter Records, Amazon, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Spotify, Pandora, Tidal, Deezer and qobuz.
Favorite Tracks
Turned To Dust (Rolling On)
London May
Tonight With The Dogs I’m Sleeping
The Water’s Fine
New Water
Guns Are For Cowards
Downstream
Our Home
