Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
The Purple Bird


4.5
superb

Review

by doofy USER (38 Reviews)
February 5th, 2025 | 15 replies


Release Date: 01/31/2025 | Tracklist

Review Summary: Bonnie 'Prince' Beyoncé

The strongest Oldham album under the Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy branding for quite some time and finally a release close to all killer and no filler. It’s true the previous two folk aligned releases hinted he was tightening up his writing again but it’s taken a return to a more country framework to get back to his very best. This is Oldham’s ‘Nashville album’ and it lives up to the billing, with a fair few warm toned foot tappers and some sympathetic nostalgic backing added to his more reflective numbers too.

The first ten tracks on ‘The Purple Bird’ certainly contain some standout gems (the chorus of ‘London May’, the classic country melody of ‘Boise, Idaho’) but it’s the last two songs here that cement the album as a top five Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy effort; ’Is My Living in Vain?’ is the darkest moment of the set with the typical quasi religious Oldham musings we’re accustomed to, while the closer ‘Our Home’ is the brightest cut presented, and is downright celebratory in tone.

‘The Purple Bird’ should complement the mysterious and downbeat alt country of ‘I See a Darkness’, the chilly windswept folk of ‘The Letting Go’ and the skeletal ‘out of time’ solitude of ‘Master and Everyone’ as Oldham’s ‘bright full band country record’. He’s tried out this sound before with the somewhat spotty ‘Beware’ and ‘Sings Greatest Palace Music’, a set of country reworkings that mostly don’t match the originals, but it’s here that he finally makes the approach fly. A truly great late career effort.



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user ratings (15)
3.6
great


Comments:Add a Comment 
DoofDoof
February 5th 2025


16543 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Good album, weekly glorified soundoff.

mkmusic1995
Contributing Reviewer
February 5th 2025


2169 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Really nice review! Enjoyed this album quite a bit as well

DoofDoof
February 5th 2025


16543 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

thanks mk, essential one for the established fan!

tyman128
Staff Reviewer
February 5th 2025


4727 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

I have never listened to any Oldham stuff before, but this is amazing

DoofDoof
February 5th 2025


16543 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

tyman - one of the best folk/country discogs of all time, absolutely huge amount of material under Will Oldham/Palace/Bonnie Prince Billy/collabs

tyman128
Staff Reviewer
February 5th 2025


4727 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Guess I need to go through a LOT then

DoofDoof
February 5th 2025


16543 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

I've still only listened to about half his output!



I wouldn't try and binge the lot ;)

tyman128
Staff Reviewer
February 5th 2025


4727 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Well first, I'll have to get this album out of my rotation, which will take some time for sure

Gyromania
February 6th 2025


37826 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

London May is sooooo good

DoofDoof
February 7th 2025


16543 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

'London May' definitely one of the best here yeah, very untypical chorus for Oldham but a great one

Gyromania
February 8th 2025


37826 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

been rly enjoying this one. you were right on the money about the final two tracks, esp Is My Living in Vain? which is currently my favourite track of the year

DoofDoof
February 8th 2025


16543 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Nice, I think if the album ended after track 10 or finished on two 'good' but not outstanding tunes the album would still have been solid but something about those two being so strong and also distinct just massively elevates the entire thing.



I said it on RYM that 'Is My Living in Vain' could have been included on 'I See a Darkness' in another life, my favourite here too. 'Our Home' is celebratory but something emotional about it too, the lyrics just hit in these times maybe. Two fantastic songs really.





mkmusic1995
Contributing Reviewer
February 9th 2025


2169 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Just listened through this again and "Is My Living in Vain" got me tearing up a bit. This record is so powerful, could easily bump this up to a 4.5 with some more listens

Nrap
February 24th 2025


532 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Boise

DoofDoof
February 24th 2025


16543 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

'Just listened through this again and "Is My Living in Vain" got me tearing up a bit.'



'Is My Living in Vain' with the context of how long Oldham has been in the game and the fact that, well, none of us are getting any younger, followed by the feel and particularly the message of the closing tune is just a crazily good pairing of songs. Together they should make you feel something, 100%.



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