Bonnie "Prince" Billy - Lie Down in the Light

Title: Lie Down in the Light Artist: Bonnie "Prince" Billy Release Date: 5/12/2008 Re-Released On: 5/20/2008 Label: Spunk Records, Drag City, Domino Recording Company USA Album Type(s): lyrics/libretto UPCs: 781484036722, 5034202022213, 5034202022220, 5099921618826 Genre: Rock Styles: Lo-Fi, Indie Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock, Alternative Singer/Songwriter Moods: Brooding, Cathartic, Gloomy, Melancholy, Reflective, Autumnal, Bittersweet, Bleak, Eerie, Ominous, Wistful, Angst-Ridden, Enigmatic, Gentle, Intimate, Laid-Back/Mellow, Plaintive, Poignant, Sad, Self-Conscious, Somber, Eccentric, Quirky Total Copies: 0 Members Wishing: 16 Number of Discs/SwapaCD Credits: 1

1. Easy Does It
2. You Remind Me of Something (The Glory Goes)
3. So Everyone
4. For Every Field There's a Mole
5. Keep an Eye on Other's Gain
6. You Want That Picture
7. Missing One
8. What's Missing Is
9. Where Is the Puzzle
10. Lie Down in the Light
11. Willow Trees Bend
12. I'll Be Glad

Year Type Label Catalog # 2008 CD Spunk Records 243 2008 CD Drag City 367 2008 CD Domino Recording Company USA 222

No other editions were found for this album.

So who's been giving Will Oldham singing lessons? The artist currently known as Bonnie "Prince" Billy has displayed a rather inconsistent skill set when it comes to vocals in the 15 years since the Palace Brothers' debut album, but on 2008's Lie Down in the Light, Oldham sounds more tuneful than ever before; on the opener, "Easy Does It," he could pass as the leader of some better than average country-rock outfit from the early '70s, which matches the jaunty but laid-back vibe of the tune. Some of the songs here recall the more spare and troubling style that marked Oldham's earlier work, such as "So Everyone," "Willow Trees Bend," and "What's Missing Is," but he's still showing a greater control over his vocal instrument than before, sounding like a real singer in a way he often hasn't in the past, and while the production and arrangements on this album are lean and uncluttered, they're rooted in a warmth and lyricism that make this one of the most satisfying albums Oldham has offered as Bonnie "Prince" Billy. Oldham's obsession with Southern gothic archetypes hasn't changed much on this set, but the 11 new songs here feel fresh and unforced, with a grace in the wordplay that matches the natural flow of the music, and whether the mood reflects hope ("For Every Field There's a Mole"), longing ("Lie Down in the Light"), or contemplation of the mysteries ("You Want That Picture"), these songs hit their target true and clean. Lie Down in the Light doesn't sound like an immediate masterpiece in the manner of 2006's The Letting Go, but on the whole it's as strong and satisfying as anything Oldham has released in the last ten years, and it's encouraging that he keeps getting stronger and refining his gifts with the passage of time. And who knows what will happen if he keeps seeing that vocal coach. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide

Name Credits Amanda Hassell Studio Assistant Ashley Webber Vocals Dan Osborn Layout Design Denis Solee Clarinet Emmett Kelly Guitar, Vocal Harmony, Recorder Glen Duncan Fiddle John Wesley Ryles Vocals Mark Nevers Engineer Marty Slayton Vocals Paul Oldham Mixing, Bass Pete Finney Pedal Steel Rod Fletcher Vocals Roy Agee Trombone Scott Colburn Mastering Shahzad Ismaily Guitar (Electric), Percussion, Piano, Banjo Tony Crow Piano, Organ