Greatest Palace

Hardly a hits collection, Will Oldham and the Fam are back under the Bonnie “Prince” Billy moniker to flesh out 15 of the Palace/Palace Music/Palace Brothers’ more noteworthy (and often bare) tunes. Recently, Bob Dylan announced that he would be going into the studio to re-record many of his early classics. In a rare humble moment, Dylan admitted to not having the most proficient compositional skills in his younger days. Now a master songwriter in every way, Dylan is ready to perfect his seemingly already perfect material; such is more or less the case with Oldham and his new album, Greatest Palace Music. 

Whether he’s talking about love or suicide, Oldham is always poignant. Reputably accountable for his gift with words, Oldham understands that his capacity to stick a simple string of words in the back of a listener’s mind is a potentially hazardous thing. Listening to Oldham’s “You Will Miss Me When I Burn” can give you the enthusiasm needed when first moving to a new city - “When you have no one, no one can hurt you. / In the corners, there is light that is good for you. / And behind you, I have warned you, / there are awful things. Will you miss me when I burn.” It can also send you into a downward spiral.

With his words on his side, the more-than-ever musically slanted Oldham has brought his friends along for the ride in order to give his poetic humblings the twangy mediation his Bonnie outfit has grown so indulgent of in recent years. Not quite the Crazy Horse assault of his counterpart Jason Molina, Oldham takes a more International Submarine Band approach to his fleshing, often to the point of sounding like a downright country crooner. Sure, Bonnie fans would rather have a new set of Oldham songs, but, for what it’s worth, Greatest‘s 15 selections are all well handled and remain exciting and estimable despite their familiarity.

Occasionally an album is released that, given the context of the listening experience, can make almost any sucker cry. Oldham is responsible for a handful of said albums already, and Greatest Palace Music is no exception. Be it ecstasy, anguish, yearning, or fear, Oldham will burn you down to an emotional cadaver if you let him. Just remember, Palace Music is your friend.  7/10

Written by G. William Locke