Beware

Spin - "Oldham remains mostly untroubled on BEWARE, accompanied by an array of instruments -- marimba, cornet, banjo, and flute swirl around placid country-tinged ruminations..." Paste - "'There Is Something I Have To Say' swells in that listless ennui he favored in a past life, while 'Afraid Ain't Me' -- with it gypsy punch -- adds flute and violin with an ear toward DESIRE-era Dylan." Q - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[With] more muscular instrumentation....'There Is Something I Have To Say' and 'Without Work You Have Nothing' testify to Oldham's metaphysical powers." Record Collector - 5 stars out of 5 -- "BEWARE is yet another collection of songs veering from the poignant to the amusing, with heartbreaking, filthy ruminations upon the turbulence of relationships." Entertainment Weekly - "BEWARE is studded with warm country rambles and folky, fiddle-tinged laments." -- Grade: B+ Clash - "There is an air of flamboyance surrounding this record, and it is this evocation of grandeur that ensures that these essentially personal anecdotes are give the life and breathing space they deserve." Pitchfork - "Oldham seems more inclined than ever to instruct and guide, a move befitting his age, experience and the role he plays in the indie-rock community." Uncut - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Warmed through by pedal steel, and by soulful backing singers, the impression is periodically of EXILE...-era Rolling Stones, buffed up to a Nashville shine." Spin (p.77) - "Oldham remains mostly untroubled on BEWARE, accompanied by an array of instruments -- marimba, cornet, banjo, and flute swirl around placid country-tinged ruminations..." Entertainment Weekly (p.63) - "BEWARE is studded with warm country rambles and folky, fiddle-tinged laments." -- Grade: B+ Q (Magazine) (p.100) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[With] more muscular instrumentation....'There Is Something I Have To Say' and 'Without Work You Have Nothing' testify to Oldham's metaphysical powers." Paste (magazine) (p.65) - "'There Is Something I Have To Say' swells in that listless ennui he favored in a past life, while 'Afraid Ain't Me' -- with it gypsy punch -- adds flute and violin with an ear toward DESIRE-era Dylan." Pitchfork (Website) - "Oldham seems more inclined than ever to instruct and guide, a move befitting his age, experience and the role he plays in the indie-rock community." Clash (magazine) (p.111) - "There is an air of flamboyance surrounding this record, and it is this evocation of grandeur that ensures that these essentially personal anecdotes are give the life and breathing space they deserve." Record Collector (magazine) (p.88) - 5 stars out of 5 -- "BEWARE is yet another collection of songs veering from the poignant to the amusing, with heartbreaking, filthy ruminations upon the turbulence of relationships."

Will Oldham, AKA Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, here continues to carve his niche in the world of indie-Americana with 'Beware', his seventh under his current alias. Where his preceding album, 2008's 'Lie Down In The Light', was a reasonably cheerful and buoyant affair, one look at the song titles alone for this release indicate that Oldham is considerably less bright here. Titles such as 'Beware Your Only Friend', 'Death Final' and 'I Don't Belong To Anyone' seem to suggest that the mood is significantly more sombre for this outing. The constants with Oldham, though, are his sparse arrangements and world-weary howling delivery, and 'Beware' sees him continue to be a much-admired songwriter.|

おやおや、今回もキラメキ度が高いんですね。もう〈孤高のシンガー〉ってイメージは邪魔なのでしょうか。1年足らずで届いたニュー・アルバムは前作同様、明るい筆致が特徴となっています。滑らかなカントリー・チューンをはじめ、サウンドの芳醇度はこれまでになく上昇。随所で聴かれるハーモニーも耳を優しく撫で、終始押し寄せる心地良さが逆に怖くなるほど。レナード・コーエン好きならドンピシャな一枚でしょう。　　
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