The Ghost Of Will Oldham

By Veronica Murtagh in Arts & Entertainment on Mar 9, 2009 6:15PM

Will Oldham is a man of many musical faces. The Louisville, Kentucky native has a certain knack for adopting monikers suggesting a larger than life operation behind the solo strumming of his outlaw Americana. Oldham may have left behind the various iterations of his Palace period (Palace Music, Palace Brothers and Palace Songs) to come into his own as Bonnie Prince Billy, but the aura of mystery surrounding Oldham's fragile vocal stylings and freak folk songwriting remain his biggest draw.

Lie Down in the Light, Oldham's 2008 release as Bonnie Prince Billy found the ghostly raconteur at a crossroads. A sense of optimistic inner peace radiated from within the joyous lyrics and bright instrumentation, marking a shift from the introspective darkness Oldham is known (and loved) for. Lie Down in the Light lacked the chilling mystery present in Oldham's earlier works, but there was something pleasantly intimate in watching Oldham’s shell crack, revealing a man at peace with his world.

Oldham releases the follow-up to Lie Down The Light titled Beware on March 17. We’re curious where the unpaved, winding road that is Will Oldham’s music will turn next.

Bonnie Prince Billy plays Saturday, March 14, at The Vic Theatre, 3145 N Sheffield, 8 p.m., $19, 18+

Press photo by Jesse Fischler