Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy’s second single from his much-loved, already, long-player of this year The Letting Go is a rather less-bodied successor to the ‘Cursed Sleep’ single; whereas that track coated its protagonist’s lyrics in luscious orchestral arrangements, ‘Cold And Wet’ is sparse and simple, affecting without the in-your-face approach of better-produced standalone efforts.
Will Oldham’s world-weary voice is the star here, the song’s acoustic backdrop giving it room enough to stretch wings and soar at the right moments; granted, he’s a master of understatement, but nevertheless there’s depth and resonance to his voice that so few similarly pitched artists can achieve. ‘Cold And Wet’ is twelve-bar blues stripped bare, alt-country with the Stetsons dusty and unmoved from the wardrobe’s rear in many a year. It’s lovely, simple as.
Proof positive that the simplest and most unassuming things in music, and beyond, can often be the most perfect.
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8Cody Jefferson's Score