Last week saw the release of the first Bonnie “Prince” Billy solo album in four years, Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You. Recorded with players local to his home town of Louisville, Kentucky, whose aptitudes spanned “classical to Japanese acid folk”, it is a peaceful, steady collection that muses on Will Oldham’s relatively new role as a father, as well as his collected koans on love and life. It’s a beautiful, wise record by a 53-year-old who has lived so many musical lives.
Three years ago, Oldham and Bill Callahan started releasing a series of spirited covers – everything from Robert Wyatt to Billie Eilish – that they collected as the album Blind Date Party. He also resumed his Superwolf project with long-term collaborator Matt Sweeney, releasing Superwolves in 2021, 16 years after their eponymous debut together. Another recent album, 2018’s Songs of Love and Horror, saw Oldham revisit his earlier musical days as the shapeshifting Palace (as well as rare Bonnie “Prince” Billy recordings).
