Title: Folk Pastiche
Product review: Bonnie `Prince Billy, Will Oldham's latest incarnation/side-project, continues his by now comprehensive exploration of mushmouth Americana/Anglophilia. His voice, reminiscent here of a tubercular Paul Simon, limns his faux folk conceits with olde English verse and awkward syntax. That's not, in concept, a terrible idea (see Fairport Convention, early Richard Thompson, Nick Drake), but Oldham's third-hand songs, unfamiliar with irony, nevertheless have the uncomfortable presence of pastiche, each one a genre exercise in quotes. He breaks through on one track - the plaintive, melancholy "After I Made Love to You". Oldham has his reputation, and his claque, certainly. Those who enjoy his work will find plenty of beauty here. The rest of us can listen, learn, and move on.
Would you say this review depicts the product in a flattering or unflattering light?
