I See A Darkness

Meh

Sounded good, was alright.

Man, I was ready to fall asleep about two tracks in. Not my style.

Two thoughts on this album. 1, this album sounds like someone was really influenced by Radiohead, And 2, I like it overall, but then after this album finished I listened to some other songs by the artist and... I liked those better. So this is pretty good but I recommend you listen to Billy's other work.

Listened previously. Expectations: High - Verdict: Near Perfect - A Minor Place is a lovely song. It has some a bittersweet feel with some of the major tonality contrasting the sombre, sedate mood. Nomadic Revery is haunting and the more intense part really goes to a special place. The title track completes an incredible opening trio and sums up the whole album in a devastating fashion. Another Day Full Of Dread sends chills down my spine. The song feels like it's teetering on the edge of a cliff or perhaps on the verge of tears. Death To Everyone is another great track, it just doesn't let up. Knockturne is the weakest track so far but it is still very good, it just doesn't get into quite the same moody space as the others. Madeleine-Mary is something different that works very well. Today I Was An Evil One has a wry, winking quality that is so different to the rest of the album. Madeleine-Mary was different musically but the vibe still seemed at home whereas this is closer musically while the whole energy changes. Black returns to more familiar territory and is a sparse, torn-up lament. Raining In Darling acts as a perfect coda to what is a stunning record. I don't listen to this very often but every time I do it blows me away all over again. Phenomenal.

que musiquinha gostosa, adorei

good

Wow, this took me by surprise (I've listened to more than 200 albums as part of this project, and I'd say this is among my top-5 positive surprises). I had never heard of Bonnie "Prince" Billy (though I must have listenened to the cover of "I See a Darkness" by Johnny Cash). I was also surprised to find about the (excellent) cover by Rosalia. Now, about the album. I found this very good. Not very impressed with the first track and I thought it would be kind of boring. But...I was wrong. Actually, it kept growing and getting better and better. I enjoyed many of the tracks here: "Nomadic Revery", "I See a Darkness", "Another Day Full of Dread", "Death to Everyone", "Madeleine-Mary", "Song For The New Breed", "Today I Was an Evil One", or "Black". Surprisingly varied and really enjoyable. It is between 4 and 5 stars for me (4 stars for now, but likely to grow on me). It is also worth noting that this album is not for a casual listen. This requires a certain mood (not necessarily sad or depressed by the way, but somehow introspective).

slow, but poignant. would have liked a little bit of texture mix up but will revisit

Miserable

DEPRESSO ESPRESSO

Had I found this album when I was a high schooler in 2010 it would have been life changing. This kind of music doesn’t move me as much as it used to, but I still have a soft spot for this type of lo-fi indie folk rock.

Sehr schön und schwermütig, Neuentdeckung.

Sadly not on Spotify and speaking of sad, all the songs sound that way. It just gives off a depressed helpless feel, like looking outside and it is permanently cloudy. 3/5

I don't know how I feel about this. Typically it's not something I would choose to listen to but there was something compelling about it. Still probably wouldn't listen again, but I really wanted to like it. And kinda did.

It’s late fall, the leaves are long gone, it gets dark early, it’s cold and raining. Have I got an album for you.

4/8

Ha, k poiščem tole na Tidal mi funnily enough vrže ven tud komad od Johnny Casha (ker je isti komad očitno, Cash je coveral & Will Oldham aka Bonnie "Prince" Billy je back vokale pel). Glih zadnjič sem razmišljala, da si moram počas skurirat glasbo za jesen - to je zame kj v smislu Timber Timbre, Siouxsie, Cocteau Twins & pa seveda Dead Man's Bones. Ta album bo totalno pasal zraven. Chill, somber. Will listen again, ker se mi zdi, da enkrat ni blo dost za tole.

Death to Everyone

Still trying to figure out “luked.” Pretty sure Bonnie Prince Billy just liked the sound of it with “downy.” Quiet but it grew on me. Wee hours of the morning or early weekend sound.

Late 90s folk rock. Lovely and chill.

I’ve never listened to Bonnie “Prince” Billy before, but if Johnny Cash picks one of your songs to cover in his American series, then I’m going to sit up and take notice. Saying that, I wasn’t blown away by the album. I don’t know, I just didn’t connect with it fully, even after a few listens. It was enjoyable enough, but nothing really stood out in particular. I’m sounding too harsh, because the songs were all nice. The chorus of “A Minor Place” is an earworm, “Nomadic Revery” catches you out with a sudden musical shift, and songs like “Madeleine-Mary” liven things up (and make great use of delay effects). I might have to revisit this one to see if it clicks with me more in future, but to be honest, I’ll probably end up just listening to some Johnny Cash. A harsh 3 stars.

Not my favorite Oldham (I prefer Master & Everyone) but this is a strong beautiful outing from him. Some of his songs I absolutely love, and album full can get tiring all in a row.

I was a bit ill when I listened to this album, so I wasn't enjoying it as much as I should have. Now that I'm better, I can see that the 1st half of "I See a Darkness" has some good songs to its name. The title track is the best of the bunch. As for the second half of "I See a Darkness", there's nothing memorable. What unites both sides is Billy's singing. 3 stars for "I See a Darkness".

Depressing. "Another Day Full of Dread," indeed.

A few decent songs, but the distractingly cacophonous backing vocals on “Nomadic Revelry (All Around)" dropped this one star.

Nice but why i have heard nicer

Eh. I wasn't a fan of this and was off on a bad foot from the first minute of the first song. Overall it was fine I guess, went by quickly at least, but not much there, especially for me. Not sure why it's on the list.

Okay, is the middling average score for this album on this website just because the album isn't on Spotify, or do you people just really not care for this album? Either way, I think that's kinda dumb, but that's also not really anything that I should care about, so I'll move on. This album is really nice. I enjoyed this quite a bit. Will Oldham has a nice voice. It gives the whole album a sorta country-adjacent vibe to it which is balanced well by the darker lyrics and more somber vibes. Speaking of which, this album is pretty dark. I mean, it's literally called "I See A Darkness." I wasn't expecting anything ABBA-esque going into this, that's all I'm saying. The piano-focused sound is pleasant to listen to. The songwriting has some fairly thought-provoking moments. I thought "A Minor Place," the title track, and "Death to Everyone" were really good. I get the appeal of this album. It's not going to hit every listener the same way, but if you're in the mood for something on the sadder side, this might be for you. Nice listen. Decent 4/5.

This feels like an album I need to get into the right mood for, and working on urgent printing issues isn't the right mood. The title track, Death To Everyone and Madeleine-Mary are all pretty solid on their own merits. I might give this another listen when I'm a little less distracted.

You know how *This Is Spinal Tap* says to crank it up to 11? Well, Bonnie “Prince” Billy had the audacity to turn it up to two. I love music, and I’m still really enjoying this challenge, but after 43 albums, this is the first one that just completely lost me. Maybe it simply wasn’t made for me. I don’t dislike folk music, but I’ve never been a big fan of albums that stay slow and subdued from beginning to end. Man, I need at least a little energy. I See a Darkness has to be one of the quietest albums I’ve ever heard. There are maybe one and a half songs where the musicians briefly sound awake, but for most of it, the whole band seems terrified they might disturb the neighbors. And it isn’t just how quiet everything is. I didn’t find much of anything memorable in the melodies, the arrangements, or the performances. It all just drifted past me without leaving much of an impression besides boredom. I don’t know. Clearly, plenty of people connect with this album, but I just couldn’t.

Very soft, slow, and melodic. Calming. I like Bonnie "Prince" Billy, and this is one of his better albums.

Listened to it, but don't remember it

I got “I See a Darkness” right after back-to-back Nick Drake albums and the contrast to Nick Drake is revealing. Sadness in art is most affecting when it’s also explicit in its attempt to find beauty in sorrow. This album never quite gets there it is so downtempo and unrelenting that at times it becomes plodding.

Not really my bag. Not fully sure I understood what was intended with this one.

I liked this a lot. I didn't recognize the artist name, but I have definitely heard some of these songs. I will definitely put this on again. Or at least I would if it was easier to find.

Dark and depressing. Not really my vibe but you can feel there's a lot of soul put behind the words being sung.

Very depressing. I liked the first song and few small other parts but not for me

Klinkt best goed, complete album niet te vinden

New to me. This is a very melancholy album, no?

7/10 I'd heard the name Bonnie "Prince" Billy before, but not really found occasion to dig into his music, so this was a fresh experience for me. On the first couple of background listens, nothing vastly stood out to me, apart from a couple of slight clunkers, but they were background spins while on holiday, so I wanted to give it a proper chance. I'm glad I did. The dark, brooding aesthetic of the work here is first class, and the slightly shaky, folksy delivery of the vocal works superbly with the stripped back, sparse arrangements to deliver work that is, in places, incredibly beautiful. It's pensive and, as the title suggests, dark in it's presentation, but it also touches on melodically optimistic notes enough to make this more than just an exercise in morosity. There are touches of Meat Puppets to the sound, but stripped back even further and filtered through a more country-edged folk blend. Compositionally, things aren't often particularly complex, but there's enough range to the material, along with occasionally meandering, but thematically appropriate melodic work that, at it's peak, is hauntingly beautiful. As a record, it felt to me that it took a couple of tracks to really settle into its stride, including Nomadic Revery, which was one of the aforementioned clunkers, but from track three onwards, the dark beauty of the record really began to shine. It's an odd thing to say about a 38 minute album, but it feels a touch on the long side, in part due to the vibe which, while aesthetically pleasing, was a little oppressive. The removal of a track like Today I Was An Evil One, for example, could have strengthened the album without leaving the listener short changed. It's a bit of a shame that there are a couple of poorer songs in the tracklist here, as well as a couple that function well enough as transitional pieces, but stand less well alone, but as a complete piece this was a very engaging album that was well worth a closer listen. A Minor Place - A folksy, earthy start. His voice is a little warbly, but in a fairly pleasant way. It's a subtle aesthetic, but a well written song. There's nothing vastly exciting about it, but it's still rather nice. Nomadic Revery (All Around) - There's an edge of Meat Puppets about this, but in a much more sparse arrangement. The dissonance and clashing of tones towards the end of this are a pretty tough listen. I think I see what he was going for, but it just feels a bit too cluttered and difficult to my ears. The build up before that was fairly pleasant, but it kind of crumbled into something far less enjoyable. I See A Darkness - This is much better. It's so sparse and stark, but there's a slightly haunting beauty to it. Melodically, it's sombre but pretty and there's a sliver of optimism poking through the gloom that's very engaging. A lovely song. Another Day Full Of Dread - The dynamic of this is very good. It's deftly constructed, with subtle use of instrumentation, like the electric guitar line the drifts in just for a bit. It's almost whispered, but it's very melodically pretty and that whispered tone adds a curiosity to the presentation. More good stuff. Death To Everyone - This reminds me of something that I can't quite put my finger on, but it's weighty and the slow plod of the beat is very effective at building an evocative soundscape. It's dark and gloomy, but again, there's something just a tiny bit optimistic buried in there. Knockturne - Although there are nice moments in this, it doesn't quite have the same completeness of composition and vibes that the last few tracks have had, so it feels a touch lacking in that respect. Not bad, but a bit thin. Madeleine-Mary - The cloud of delayed guitar against that simple bass line is really nice, and the roaming vocal melody that drifts out of the wash is cool too. It's melodically very nice and has a wonderful vibe with almost a touch of dub to the production. Great track. Song For The New Breed - Back to something sparse and restrained now. It's beauty is in its stark, semi-commited, almost halting delivery. I think the vocal melody is possibly a touch unfocused, but the aesthetic is again really pleasing. Today I Was An Evil One - A rare miss. There are good parts, but this drifts too far into country territory and the vocal melody is a bit all over the place. The pace is a bit too much compared to the dragging weight of much of the rest of the record and the more punchy vocal doesn't quite deliver in the same way either. Not a big fun of the harmonium(?) line either. Black - Back to something stronger. It's still got a bit more pace, and feels a bit more traditionally put together than some of the more sparse efforts, but it's still fairly pleasant if a touch rambling and unspectacular. Raining In Darling - And we close with something that starts off stripped back and then soars. It's done in no time at all, but it gathers up the downtrodden aesthetic of the record and rises out of it beautifully to give us just a pinch of optimism that the rest of the record has hinted at. Lovely.

Very of the time for me but nothing really stands out

This is a true gem in the list. Amazing emotional album that hits all the right notes. 9/10 but worthy of 5 stars

Pretty good but made me want to listen to Neil Young more

This album was almost nonexistent. The initial set of songs were hard to hear they were so quiet (not a good album for listening to on the road). Whatever messages of darkness he was trying to convey were lost on me in the darkness. Fortunately, It was a short game of hide and seek.

Hadn’t heard of this Prince, but enjoyable

I couldn't download the album, but from what I know of BPB I anticipate sad, sad, sad, and beautiful. So a shot in the dark 3 stars

Wasn’t coming up on Spotify so had to source from different places. That being said, I would listen again without ads etc. Liked the melancholy style

Delicate, raw, and engaging. Quite enjoyed this in a mellow festival-morning kind of way. 3*

Crap

Dang this album really took me. There's an amateurish enthusiasm to the performance and the production but not in a way that feels lacking. It just feels like these songs were written by a real person if that makes sense. I guess I have to watch "Old Joy" now thanks William Oldham. Some pretty epic folk rock/americana singer songwriter stuff.

Weird and cool. I liked it.

Nice

I felt a Darkness. A little bit nice, a little bit boring.

All these songs invoke the scenes just following the moment of conflict in a modern Christmas movie.

Pretty moody.

This is a good album, not typically my speed, but I can appreciate what’s happening in the songwriting here. Generally speaking, if you describes the music as “haunting”, then I’ll probably not like the music you’re describing, and I probably don’t like you either.

Connor Oberst called. He says to cheer the fuck up. It was fine, probably wouldn't listen again, missing something that makes depressed music special

It's good stuff. I've listened to this several times over the years and it's never really stuck with me but every time I hear it, I do enjoy it. I think this might really resonate with those at a certain age when it came out, but that wasn't me.

Well… this was depressing as hell. Favourite Track(s): Death to Everyone Least Favourite Track(s): Knockturne

Not available on Spotify. Listened to a bit on Youtube. It's alright, nothing to write home about.

1008 - "Here's your juice box and orange slice. Thanks for coming."

non posso ascoltarlo su spotify, -1 stella; partito non malissimo ma già la seconda canzone fa cagare al cazzo... non ascolterei mai

A great discovery this album, dark moody folk, love it ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Really good at feeling big despite being small in every way. Love the aesthetic of the cover and song titles but tbh didn't get much character from the music. Biggest issue here is that it's not on Spotify so I don't know which songs I liked.

Ok, THIS is why I'm doing this project. Finding a gem like this, that I'd likely never have listened to on my own, is exactly what I've been wanting.

Either this album is genius or it's a thrown together piece of garbage. I don't know, but it's not enjoyable to listen to.

vibezinha deprimida pra caralho puta que pariu (incrivelmente bom)

é bem bom, hein. um alt country mais introspectivo, com umas letras bem bacanas e baixo astral. coisa boa demais esse aqui. só nao eh 5 porque acho que ele deve funcionar melhor depois de uma péssima notícia. hoje eu nao to triste, aí perdeu impacto. mas ainda eh bem bom, hein

Perhaps this album was included because of its uniqueness. I can’t think of another one that’s the same. It’s a bit of indie/folk/rock, focused on the lyrics rather than the music. The guy sounds somewhat like Jackson Browne. Overall there’s nothing offensive here, but it’s not my thing.

Nice, a Prince album! Oh. Actually, this is not bad. It's chill emotional folksy indie. Some of the songs are a little too baleful wail-y for my preference, but it's got the emo spirit. Word mysteries: what is "hosing" in 'Death to Everyone'? ("Death to everyone / Is gonna come / And it makes hosing / Much more fun") Many internetters also wondered. Many internetters concluded it's a sex thing, but although that's often the answer with such mysteries, I'm not fully convinced in this case. One person proclaimed it's like the gerund version of the Canadian "hoser" ("hosering"?), but Prince is from Kentucky, so that doesn't seem super likely. However, I have limited time to spend investigating, so I will leave it for future researchers.

This is one of my favorite albums ever; let's start there. I think this is one of the peaks of the '90s singer-songwriter scene, and it's *probably* the crown jewel of Will Oldham's discography. I See A Darkness is Gothic country music, taken deathly seriously. This sounds like ripple across a pond, it sounds like it was recorded on the moon. It's pure Americana songwriting, but the twang is just replaced with an all encompassing stillness. It's a remarkable cleanness, but it is achieved while still sounding organic and raw. And the lyrics and vocals get this all the way there. In contrast with the crystalline sound of the music here, Will Oldham sings shakily, and his lyrics jump between anachronistic, clever and straight up vulgar. But the collective effect of it kind of disembodied "Bonnie Prince Billy" as a character. The implicit narrator here feels angry, but frightened and quiet. There's a really unique obsession with morality here as well. I believe Will Oldham said that the title track is kind of about entertaining the idea that you are ontologically evil, though you wish to do good. There are songs about being evil through laziness, songs about companionship, and songs about accepting death in order to wrestle power away from it. And, like I said, this is all narrated with an incredibly unique, dark tone. And with this all going on, the stillness of this album makes it feel almost scary. Even the most fiery moment here, Death To Everyone, feels restrained and patient and measured, almost like a dissertation, even while it seems like it could boil over. Every song here is a masterwork of modern Americana, taken to a place that is, on some level, truly haunting. It's gorgeous, it's depressing, and sometimes, it's weirdly triumphant. But this gets my highest recommendation, and is one of my favorite albums of all time.

Pretty solid stuff.

Very good

Un classique de cette période pour moi.

y'a fallu que je l'écoute sur youtube, les pubs ça rendait le tout moins gracieux. Mais sacrée belle découverte! J'aimerais bien y revenir éventuellement.

No estaba disponible todo el disco, pero sonaba lindo la única rola que escuché. Folksy agradable.

You had me at sad alt-country

Listened before?: no A Minor Place - 5/5 Nomadic Revery (All Around) - 4/5 I See a Darkness - 5/5 Another Day Full of Dread - 4/5 Death to Everyone - 4/5 Knockturne - 3/5 Madeleine-Mary - 4/5 Song for the New Breed - 3/5 Today I Was an Evil One - 3/5 Black - 4/5 Raining in Darling - 3/5 Average score: 3.8/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ this was a little hard to find for listening, as it must've been removed from spotify some time ago. i think you can find it on YouTube but was able to acquire a copy elsewhere i enjoyed this for the most part, though i will say the first half is strongest. this would probably be a 3.5 star album but i think i'll be generous today

One of my favourite bleak albums. So much sadness and then ends on a note of real beauty.

I See a Darkness stands as a hauntingly intimate masterwork, anchored by Bonnie 'Prince' Billy’s signature laid-back vocal delivery and a thematic commitment to introspection and gloom. While tracks like "Death to Everyone" and the jarring "Today I Was an Evil One" may falter in their execution, the album largely succeeds through its minimalistic approach, allowing evocative, poetic lyrics to take center stage. From the folky warmth of "Nomadic Revery" to the atmospheric depth of "Song for the New Breed," the record crafts a cohesive, emotionally resonant journey that feels both fragile and expansive, culminating in the poignant beauty of "Raining in Darling." It is a compelling, if occasionally uneven, exploration of dread and existence that earns a solid 3.5/5.

Rather boring, unoriginal indie rock. I do not recommend. So boring you won't even fall asleep to it.

Vaya racha de dos albumes, este ya te deja la navaja al lado de la bañera para facilitarte las cosas

I quite enjoyed this. Very nice and calming.

Ni bien ni mal ni todo lo contrario

Pleasant, but didn’t leave a huge impression on first listen. Will revisit.

Flácido. Estéril e desinteressante. Algumas passagens interessantes, mas no geral é bem broxante de ouvir 2/5

This one surprised me. I mean, I do enjoy folk, but I’ve never listened to Bonnie Prince Billy before, so I had no idea what to expect. I really enjoyed it, the whole atmosphere is pure gothic folk and I’ve already gone back to relisten to several songs. Great stuff.

I'm not against melancholic singer songwriters (I gave Nick Drake 5 stars) and I was even in the right mood but I can hardly believe how terrible this is. I forced myself to listen to the whole album as an exercise in enduring torture. I assume he played every instrument because everything is played so amateurishly there's no way he hired these musicians. Fucking brutal. Worst album out of the 50 I've gotten so far.

Beautiful, dark, sparse.

I have heard of Bonnie Prince Billy before but didn't know what he sounded like. I didn't really like this, but I didn't dislike it either. I feel like you need to be in a specific mood to appreciate this album. I may have to listen again another time.

Not on Spotify.

Youtube link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_m_OqnkSt68qy9R7vx7BkUnZPI4Z1zp3XI&si=UCnjlOiR_rwdZsF_ Pretty bland, wrong Pete Townsend...

A bit morose for my taste but well done.

Forgetable... yet another one where I really don't understand why or how it ended up on this list :-(

No esta en Spotify 3

what a great album just absolutely foul that its not on spotify reminds me of Nick Drake at times

Dark and sad but American and Whiny

I can't rate this album as its not even available on Spotify so it must be good lol

отвращение не вызвало, уже хорошо. ни о чем.

My streaming service didn't have the album. I listened to a few tracks on YouTube. It wasn't that bad, but it wasn't interesting enough for me to want to check it out further. 3/5

Started OK but then fizzled. I am not sure I actually listened to this....

A melancholic, quite dark, minimalist, and yet beautiful piece of folk. I think my biggest issue with it is that it felt a bit too impersonal to really connect to it, like while it is lyrically a dark record, it isn't an album where a listen is day-ruining. It means I can have it on while I work if I want something sad but not crushing though.

The 4th song starts off with "I like to have a good time, my friends will tell you" WELL IT DOESN'T FUCKING SOUND TRUE. Misery dressed up as introspection as the 'singer' slowly mumbles off key over the same music, over and over and over again. All 4 songs sounded the same. This is genuinely a 0/5 album.

Morbidly beautiful.

A bit too melancholic for me.

it was fine. i didn't dive into the lyrics or anything though Would I listen again: perhaps Deserves to be on this list: unsure 3.2

Saai

Boring

I had to track this one down on YouTube because it wasnt on Spotify and there is nothing more jarring that having music like this interrupted by jarringly upbeat adverts. I enjoyed quite a few of the tracks, but there were a couple where I found the vocals quote off putting. The band delivered big time on every track though. The cover art alone is 5* Not sure I'll seek it out again specificly but I did enjoy my listen through. 3.25* rounded to 3*

The album cover looks spooky... LET'S SEE 🥹🥹 I want him to sing in my ear until I fall asleep

I’ve heard snatches of BPB music in the past and been quite impressed so this was a welcome inclusion on the list. Slow melancholic music always appeals to me so this was an OK listen but I couldn’t say that I was 100% engaged for the whole album. Damien Rice is a comparable artist and if you do compare Damien wins hands down. 3/5 19/6/26

A pretty good album, I liked A Minor Place the most.

Dark, yet pretty. Deep and thoughtful. I enjoyed it. It met me where my current emotional state is today. I rarely am this dark, so I can't imagine listening to it again.

A pretty dark album, but it grew on me icl. Ironically enough best track was “Death to everyone”. Had to sit through at least 10 ads on yt for this since it wasn’t available on spotify. Would not do it again. Low 4

Decent.

тіпа бітлс але шось ну не дкже дуже якось та 2

Totally innocuous!

Melancholy. Soulful. And just not the right day for me to really hear it. Giving a 3 for first impression, but I need to go back and listen again.

I knew the title track via Johnny Cash's American Recordings cover and like it a lot. Intrigued by the rest but my mind had trouble locking onto it. It's a persistent problem with these folky indie acts and me... see also Badly Drawn Boys, Bright Eyes, Elliot Smith.

No. NO. I can see the charm in this, I promise. It's soft, it's quiet, it reminds me a bit of Nick Drake and David Thomas Broughton. But in no way am I fan of the out-of-sync background vocals. He's got a nice voice and everything, but I want so badly for those vocals to /sync up/ and add some real power to his words. Please, Bonnie. I was so ready to enjoy the song Madeleine-Mary and its seemingly dub-inspired guitar work, only for those vocals to come in and just SUCK. IT SUCKS. It's so aggravating. I'm so sorry.

(light 8/10) Dark and intriguing, with very subtle instrumentation that also manages to be a little chaotic in places, despite the overall quiet sound. BPB's vocal range is gravelly and tired-sounding, perfect for the desolate songs and interesting lyricism. It ends without much fanfare, but while you're listening you can't help but feel sucked in and paying attention to everything. A sleeper hit of an album for me, it's gonna have to go through repeated listening cycles for me to fully grasp it. As of now though, I'm a fan.

moody

It’s good, but not even the best Will Oldham

wow hace mucho no me gustaba tanto un album de alguien a quien no conozco, que paz y un sentimiento de estar manejando solo a la madrugada. No puede ser que no este en spotify, me quiero mor1r

Ah wonderful, sad bastard music. I suppose the title is kind of a giveaway. Not something I'd ever care to listen to again.

Sounds like the soundtrack to a medical drama

“Mom! Can I get Damien Rice?” “We have Damien Rice at home”

Sick album that I definitely feel like I’ve heard the influence of.

I really appreciate Will’s music. It is unpretentious to a rare degree and the fragility, especially in his vocals betrays remarkable artistic bravery. It produces moments of transcendent beauty (I See a Darkness, Today I Was an Evil One). Like pretty much all musical artists, he benefits from the editing effect of collaboration. (Hear his various Palace recordings.) There are several tracks here that don’t quite hold up; some that need some more kneading. But the high points are just so damned good.

What is that quote? One must embrace the darkness in order to overcome the darkness? That's kind of the overall feel and theme I get with this which is accentuated by an oddly optimistic expression of despair presented in a seemingly messy way. This is a very human record and extremely situational.

so goddamn boring and depressing

8/10

I was in a proper pit of despond when this album came out. It was perfect. It helped that there are moments of hope and humour in there.

Interesting modern take on a folky sound

Good! I think at a different time in my love I wouldve loved this.

Will Oldham's great.

Thankfully times has gone by.

p850. 1999. 2 stars. Depressing and single paced American indie folk for hipsters, with no standout tunes. Only found on YouTube so interrupted by ads for Omega 3 and teeth straightening. On the plus side, it's short. The Johnny Cash cover of the title track is far superior.

Didn't mind it but will likely never think aobut it again. RYM: N Saved a song: N

oh i like this already. <3 the vocals. soft, poetic. be how it is. underlying restlessness but also calm? interesting juxtaposition. there's like a tiredness but also a resoluteness. a wariness but telling the story anyway. gentle and tired. i think the title track is my favorite. bringing / giving the last spoons. letting it be how it is. love, despite it all.

I liked this quite a bit, alt country is just emo.

Very pleasantly surprised with this one, because I saw the genre descriptions and thought “oh no, this is not gonna be my vibe at all” and then lo and behold, it caught my ears like if Kurt Cobain was into country and folk instead of Pixies and alt-rock. Really great texture to voice and instrumentation, there’s a good drive and motion to songs which vary nicely beat to beat (Death to Everyone unsurprisingly my favourite with the distorted band sound), moody lyrics that I don’t hate and come across alright. I guess I’m becoming open to good singer-songwriter stuff and indie folk, they got to me.

I see a missing album from the streaming world.

An amazing album by a singular, brilliant talent. mid fours

Will Oldham / Bonnie Prince Billy is such a prolific artist, I've almost never known where to start with him. A bit like King Gizzard, I suppose. He's released albums in 2025 and 2026 which are pretty good but I was pleased to be directed to this from his back catalogue - haunting and atmospheric despite the lo-fi production. Every track is good but the title song is achingly sad, and Death To Everyone is also a highlight. Melancholy but brilliant

Sad folk. For an artist and album I have never heard of before I really enjoyed this one. It reminded me a little of Rufus Wainwright.

It's a lovely, sad album. It's good stuff, so it is a shame that it is a bit difficult to access. Favorite track: "I See a Darkness"

Wow this sucks.

An album meant for a melancholy mood.

I really cant tell you much abou this. I listened twice and came away entirely blank. Maybe its a headphone record, but to me it was instantly forgettable.

First time listen. It's good. Not my go-to American music but good melodies and lyrics. Can't place the genre. Reminds me of The Deep Dark Woods. Standard is good. Relaxed listen. Would listen to again.

I was pleasantly surprised. It was dark and moody - perfect for a dark winter day.

4:5

Dark, gloomy, depressing and dull - I believe him when he says he can see a darkness! 1 "A Minor Place" (3/5) 2 "Nomadic Revery (All Around)" (2/5) 3 "I See a Darkness" (2/5) 4 "Another Day Full of Dread" (2/5) 5 "Death to Everyone" (2/5) 6 "Knockturne" (2/5) 7 "Madeleine-Mary" (3/5) 8 "Song for the New Breed" (2/5) 9 "Today I Was an Evil One" (2/5) 10 "Black" (2/5) 11 "Raining in Darling" (3/5) Total - 25 Average - 2.27 332/1001 182/332 albums reviewed were new to me.

Loved it. It’s not only my style, it’s basically the style of music I make. Probably a 4.5 but I’m bumping to a 5.

Folk, 79 eme album =>1/5 Absolument rien d'apparenté au rock dans cet album terriblement ennuyeux ... je ne suis pas allé au bout.

absolute crap

Oh how depressing and dull. Nope.

I had to listen on YouTube as it's unavailable on Spotify, but this album was very nice and cozy.

Would have to be on the mood for this, and quite liked some of it. Not quite sure how often I would be in the mood though, but if I am I'll give it another go.

Probably quite good. Not available as an album on Spotify in UK.

This one was… hard to find. Was it worth the extra effort? No. If it were on Spotify and easier to access I do believe I’d like it more but the misaligned vocals were kind of driving me crazy

4*

Sparse alt-country and folk built from skeletal acoustic guitars, minimal percussion, drifting piano, and fragile murmured vocals crawls like sitting alone in a dim room while time itself slowly leaks through the walls—intimate and emotionally heavy, but so lethargic it becomes suffocatingly dull. The album’s stripped-down sincerity aims for devastating introspection, yet its glacial pacing often drains tension instead of deepening it. What feels profound to some listeners feels punishingly inert to me.

Never heard of this before. It was nice enough I guess.

Really great album. I discovered this independently a few months ago when I liked a new song B”P”B put out. It’s in the Leonard Cohen vein, dark and wry. Kinda like Bill Callahan, he’s a very distinct songwriter, where he’s not for everyone and even those he’s for, you have to kinda be in the mood for it. When it hits, it hits. I dig it. Not perfect but great and I think worth checking out. Must-listen #347.

One of many reasons to ditch Spotify for Qobuz is that they have this album. Sweet, sad, beautiful.

Judging from all the high-brow, verbose reviews I've read here, decrying the shallowness of mere mortals such as I, perhaps I should feel some guilt in my rating. The nicest thing I can say is that Bonnie "Prince" Billy simply isn't my style. I certainly don't listen to the albums on this list to explore existentialism.

This is #day647 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… I wish I had more to say about this record after listening to it. But if I don't, then I'm afraid it probably wasn't worth the time. I don't believe this is something you must hear before you die. Let it be a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day648.

It's downbeat, but the atmosphere is solid and it doesn't outstay its welcome. Would be a top album to listen to whilst feeling sorry for yourself.

Man, this doesn't sound anything like Prince!

Overdepressing.

I wasn't depressed enough to truly appreciate this today, but in the right circumstances I think it could flourish for me. It's quite uniform and unvaried in terms of pacing, though I get that's entirely the point, and none of what I heard was unenjoyable.

Favorite Song; I See A Darkness

I See A Darkness I feel like I should enjoy this more than I actually did. It has all the elements I like, and perhaps I was expecting a bit more, but it didn’t really resonate that much with me. I like the title track and quite enjoyed A Minor Place and Raining In Darling, but outside those I struggled to engage with it, it all felt a bit thin and reedy and a little ho hum, and that his vocal fragility seemed forced and ultimately hollow. I don’t think it's bad, it’s just not for me and I think I’m unlikely to revisit, so a 2c. 💀💀 Playlist submission: I See A Darkness

Slow-and-sad-core. If Leonard Cohen and Neil Young had a child, Will Oldham may have been the result. Some of the songs feel too undercooked. But after a bit of listening work the melodies do appear. There just doesn't feel enough to draw the listener back compellingly, and the mind wanders off. There feels a real seed of something here though, and I'll be checking out his later albums. In a way it's a bit like one of those magic eye posters from the 90s. Listen hard enough and for long enough, and suddenly melodies will appear and hold you transfixed. But it takes concentration.

I know it would hit in dark moments. I, however, am a pretty positive guy and the sulking-ness of this album is dragged rather than portrayed. No songs really stood out. But then again, none ever do with these albums. It has potential, and the elements are there, but it doesn't dive deep enough into any of them to be called good.

This album had musical dynamics that ranged from A to B. Kind of a drag.

ah

One note but I liked the note.

Kinda dark and sad

An album that sounds almost fragile, it requires attention to its minimalism. I get that people aren’t going to appreciate this because it’s not smacking them over the head with unnecessary noise. There are some beautiful layers of delicately structured music happening here to accompany Bonnie Billy’s often gloomy lyrics. I See a Darkness is the obvious standout, it’s just really nice, the backing vocals work quite well. I also really enjoyed the playfulness on Another Day of Dread, just found that interesting and there’s also a great although brief guitar solo on that track. Subtle beauty on this flexors. 4 stars

Solo he encontrado la canción del titulo. En la linea habitual de Wild Oldham, luego Bonnie...

I would love to be able to sing, not in a Mariah Carey way but to carry a song in a way that I convey the emotion At the heart of the song. Now no one is suggesting that Will Oldham is Celine Dion, but by god his voice just left me with chills. Cracking, and breaking and sometimes not quite there key wise but just so personal. Laid against bare and ramshackle arrangements it just crackles with emotion.

I ain’t depressed enough for this shit

Unavailable on Spotify. Every other album was though. Listened on YouTube, which meant I heard more adverts for start-up banks than any music I liked. This wasn’t something that I wanted to be listening to on a nice sunny day

Not available on Spotify but I found it on Youtube Music. I want to listen to this one again.

Damn! That was hard

I like folk music. I like thoughtful lyrics. I even sometimes like minor key, but this was unrelentingly minor key somehow the ingredients just didn’t gel for me.

good album

Not for me this one. I just guess that 1 man's classic indie folk music is another man's depressing dirge. If I was to pick a favourite track, i suppose I'd go with Nomadic Revery for it's interesting chord developments, but that eventually descends into something that makes my ears want to cry! I just wasn't in the mood for this today and I'm not hearing anything in ot that might make me feel differently tomorrow. Straight into the bargain bucket.

Dour, Appalachia style folk rock that was all the rage during this era. Poetic in parts but fatiguing overall.

Unapologetically human, this record oscillates between vulnerable lament and morbid optimism. Though the religious imagery and sentiments don't particularly resonate with me, the lyrics always have something insightful to offer.

"Darkness" is right! Will Oldham's first album as Bonnie "Prince" Billy sees him exploring the sort of dark, morbid thoughts on life and death, friends and lovers, that many of us have, but tend not to share with others. the title track is a haunting, stirring ballad about a dear friend whose connection to Oldham helps him reign in his own inner demon (the final lyric, "and did you know how much I love you / is a hope that somehow you / can save me from this darkness," is a genuine tear-jerker in context). further observations follow, such as the macabre juxtaposition of death and hosing on "Death to Everyone", or the way Oldham makes peace with his inner "Black" in a harrowing enemies-to-lovers metaphor. the music, breaking the 90s alt-country mold wide open, is consistently sparse, mostly featuring Oldham's soft-strummed guitars, drums played with brushes instead of sticks, and (god) that piano! his voice is light, but consistently weighed down by depression, self-loathing and isolation; it wavers like a candle in the wind. I See a Darkness makes the case that there's hope and happiness to be found in even the most morose and twisted aspects of our own psyches. this message is reflected in every note and every word; gorgeous, featherweight instrumentals and vocals underpinning some of the most serious musings you'll ever hear in the realm of singer-songwriterdom. decent 9/10.

First time of this artist. Hate using Youtube to get at it. The ads are relentless. Semi frustrated before I start. Three songs in and I’m loving it. A lot of young Andy Hull vibes. I love thoughtful, dark and reflective/depressing themes fostered via Smiths, Cure, Depeche Mode, earlier REM in my youth. Second half of the album had me vacillating a little more - is this guy legit or cleverly disguising a lack of genuine talent? On second listen loved more of it. It can be so hard to find a gem on first listen. I’m going to throw a 4 if for no other reason than to remind me to come back. 4/5

el revolver se cargó solo

certainly cultivates an air of austere melancholy, but strips back very far in favor of vocals that are sometimes incomprehensible (lyrical content) and sometimes incomprehensible (diction).

Just ok

spotify wouldnt let me listen to this album 🥀🥀. im gonna see if its on youtube after i finish the ones i missed.

Can't find the full album but what I hear is very sad, Iron and Wine without the joy.

Really good acoustic album, it’s a shame it’s not on streaming, I’d add more to my playlist. 4 stars

Some interesting passages and generally I like the haunting vibe. But the execution of that second vocal is so distracting I found it hard to immerse myself. 2 stars.

Engaging

this was pretty good but loses points (figuratively this is not a five star album either way) for making me listen on youtube with incessant adverts 🫩

This is what floating on a sinking ship probably feels like. Will Oldham still firmly believes in his ideals he set with his earlier albums. Living with The Darkness as a roommate, and the whole nine yards: the bad-bad and the bad with the rose-tinted glasses, if you catch my drift. Some tracks are great, while others a more of a filler, than anything, which doesn't help, considering the mood it sets. The middle sags a bit, with the ending and beginning having some real punch in it. A bit hopeless, and a bit like a drunken singer at the end of the night. Shame the middle is a bit nonsensical and numbing, really kills the flame.

#923. I skimmed through a little bit, it seemed fine. 3/5: something

4 for sure

1. minor - 1 2. nomadic - 1 3. darknezz - 1 4. dread - 1 5. death - 1 6. knock - 0 7. mary - 1 8. breed - 1 9. evil - 1 10. black - 1 11. raining - 0

Fuck it, I'm giving this a 5. I so, so wish this was on Spotify because I feel like I'd listen to it all the time. Even so, it's really haunting and beautiful and vulnerable and something just speaks to me here. Probably helps being a little bit depressed right now too. Happy 300!

pretty sad i guess

This was a cool new discovery! Exactly why I signed up. It’s a shame this is not available on Spotify. I had to listen to it on YouTube and there were ads in between the tracks. Although maybe that interruption prevented me from thinking the suns were all too similar. At first the singing, with out of sync and some times out of tune harmonies was a bit off putting. But soon the mood of the album and the lyrics pulled me in. Very atmospheric, gloomy in a good way. I’m happy to know this one.

Another example of don’t judge an album by its cover. I wish it was on Spotify!

Thoughts before listening: One of those albums and artists that was on my radar a lot as someone who is generally a fan of alt-country and indie rock singer-songwriters. I always found BPB to be a little too weird and slow for my tastes, but maybe I wasn't listening closely enough. I'm excited to listen to this today. Review: Not on Spotify, but I was able to listen on YouTube. Its dark for sure, but I enjoyed my listen. I actually knew more of the album than I thought I would. Maybe I owned it or at least had downloaded it back in the day? Either way, I can see how BPB's lackadaisical vocal style can be a turnoff for some, but I hear it as a certain unpolished authenticity. All in all its a fine album that I will give 3-stars

This album does not work at all in broad daylight. I tried it and it sounded more bitter when the sun was out. Then I put it on when it was dark out and this is one of the most impressive discoveries I've encountered on this list. Painful, but oddly soothing. For people who actually enjoy sleeping to thunder. I'm not completely sold right now, but I'm willing to invest. Funny enough, I did spend the money to buy this album on Bandcamp (8/10, 5/5 on this scale)

Enjoyed it

the hell

Not sure how this was super influential, esp in 1999, but I did like the earnest somewhat sad singing.

This was an interesting listen especially on YouTube since it is not in Spotify. I honestly didn't mind a couple of the songs, but that was it. Also very interesting with the medical commercials and others after every song. 4.5/10 Top song I see darkness

It’s fine. I liked this more than I was expecting to given my previous attempts with BPB. I could see myself coming around to this album more in future. I just to be in the right mood. ☹️ 2.5 rounded up to 3 for the cover art.

Я бы послушал весь альбом в исполнении Джонни Кэша

Приятная красивая музыка, но уж больно тихая и минималистичная. Для прослушивания вечером у камина

Понравился тот факт, что этот чел озвучивал хорька в великом мультсериале animals и был в jackass 3D. Какая-то абсолютно фриковая линия жизни. За альбом и это ставлю 5.

Грустный мужик поет грустные фолковые песни. Хорошечно

люблю такой вайб, не зря искал за пределами спотифая, 4ка. буду ли возвращаться? - вряд ли

Not bad by any means, but not something I’ll revisit most likely. Southeastern by Jason Isbell is more of my vibe for sad singer/songwriter songs.

Not an everyday album, slow and moody. Not sure how to rate.

I do not like this mumbled, whiny music. It never takes off. Never changes its tone. It is unrelentingly dull. If beige were music, this would be it. What gives with all these mealy-mouthed men lately? At least it was short.

Not my favourite BPB album but worthy of its place here.

4/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/bonnie-prince-billy/i-see-a-darkness/ Ooh this is gooood. 4/5 because I think this is an album that will benefit a lot from repeated listening.

This is probably as depressing as I should’ve anticipated from the title, which is sort of a bummer for me cause I don’t always connect with that. But thankfully the artist has really creative and silly songwriting. For example during one of my favorite songs on the album (death to everyone) has these silly “la la la” backing vocal tracks that are really endearing. It makes the somber depressing nature of the album alittle easier to stomach. The other song that had that same level of silliness in the backing vocals is “nomadic revery” which was a very close second to favorite song for the album behind death to everyone. I also really liked how psychedelic rock sounding “madeleine Mary” is, that’s also one of my favorite tracks. But as a whole the album really was too slow and depressing for me. Solid album, and if u like slow albums this is a great album.

Too much the same

I think it’s ok

I'm not averse to a bit of melancholy, and in general I liked the music here, but I don't particularly care for Oldham's wavery voice.

Es un álbum que me hizo reflexionar, me gustó

Good album lyrically just kinda one note

Really wanted to like this. I dig Will Oldham's vibe and the indie Americana thing he pushes, but this was just pale wallpaper music for me. No real big swings musically, lyrically, or sonically.

Not what i expected at all based on the album artwork, but i am pleasantly surprised because damn that was beautiful yet dreary. My standouts would be another day full of dread, today i was an evil one and black. I only just heard of this guy today and i’m proud to give it a 5, that said i don’t think its airtight on first listen, but it’ll be a true 5 in a few listens i reckon, just based on how i feel about it right now i can see that happening.

Too dark. Musically uninteresting. I couldn't connect.

6/10

Very heartfelt and sad but I found it pretty meandering and just kind of boring. I'm probably too happy for this album right now. I get that it is intentionally low fi and imperfect. Just not a huge sadboi folk person.

Low key, low fi, low mood. A cold kind of solace.

I do get (and somewhat agree with) the sentiment of there being a time and place for an album like I See a Darkness to properly hit, but something about it just didn't quite click for me. One could say the same thing about You Want It Darker or Either/Or, but both of those albums are ones I could instantly appreciate (regardless of my present setting). Highlights: Death to Everyone, Madeleine-Mary

Not a laugh riot! But pretty music nonetheless

Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s I See a Darkness is often hailed as a masterpiece of lo‑fi melancholy, but listening to it with fresh ears feels less like encountering a profound artistic statement and more like being trapped in a dimly lit basement while someone mutters their diary entries over a guitar that desperately wants to be tuned. The album aims for fragile intimacy, but too often it collapses into a kind of emotional mumbling—like a friend who insists on telling you their deepest secrets but refuses to speak above a whisper. The production, celebrated by fans as “haunting,” frequently comes across as unfinished sketches that wandered onto a record by accident. Instead of raw authenticity, it feels like a collection of demos that never got the memo about becoming actual songs. The title track is supposed to be the emotional centerpiece, but its meandering structure and half‑formed vocal delivery make it feel more like a rehearsal for a song that might someday be moving. The rest of the album follows suit: sparse arrangements that don’t build, melodies that barely register, and lyrics that gesture toward profundity without ever landing anywhere meaningful. Plenty of artists have made minimalism gripping. Here, the minimalism just feels… minimal. The emotional weight the album thinks it’s carrying never quite materializes, leaving you with a record that’s less “hauntingly beautiful” and more “haunting in the sense that you can’t believe people keep insisting it’s great.” In short: if the album were aiming to be worse than dogshit, it overshoots the target by a wide margin. At least dogshit has a clear identity.

Music for depressed white people. I kiiiinda dig it, the nihilism / existentialism etc. Probably would have loved it 15 years ago when I got into Cass McCombs (for whom this sounds like a huge influence). Will likely explore some other records by this guy at some point. Seems to be prolific.

Nope

Quite enjoyed this. 3.5

Melancholic without being depressing.

Too folksy for me

Not available in my Spotify account. Had to listen through Youtube Music on my computer. Found the album repetitive and boring. Some lyrics peaked my interest an some melodies were hauntingly beautiful, but the album just failed to capture me.

Listenable.

While the album does sound rounded, many of these melancholic songs blend together. The more cerebral parts were a breath of fresh air but I have heard similar tunes on this list that hit closer to home. Best songs are Madeleine Mary and Black. 5/10, lukewarm on this one.

crap

Fuckin dumb

Not quite my style, but he has a great voice, and I get why this record is on the list.

Good.

This was almost good, but was let down by the singing.

It was okay but there are a lot better vocalist with his folkie emo style. No a huge fan.

Quite a fun listen, I enjoyed it about as much as blue, I did find myself getting a bit bored by the end but I though it was well produced great musicality and great songwriting

Yeah! Had flare

As great as I remember, maybe better.

Neat in its rawness and directness. Will Oldham cool guy

fun little folk album, doesn't overstay its welcome, generally not my thing but im not complaining about it either.

Nice gloomy sound. Shame it’s not easier to stream

SNORE

9/10

I debated between 4 and 5. The title track is so sad and beautiful and haunting

Again, I cannot stress enough how much I respect an artist coming off Spotify. I'd like to do it too. I keep getting very close to moving to Tidal. But it did slightly impinge on this absolutely beautiful album that every third song I have to hear an add for how AI can improve my marketing pipeline (my pipeline is my business thanks). Still, this was really lovely to listen to, very yearning, mellow and thoughtfully created.

Listened, but with some difficulties. Not worth it.

It’s crazy to me that more people have given this a 1 than a 5. This album is a straight-up classic.

Back-to-back 1999 albums, and this one was much more enjoyable. I feel like the name is vaguely familiar, though couldn’t say for certain if I’d listened to him before. Immediately reminded me of artists like Okkervil River or Damien Jurado, maybe early Iron & Wine or Phosphorescent. Really chill indie folk that’s exactly in my wheelhouse. Easy 4/5 upon first listen, and I listened to it a second time to decide if there was enough to inch it up to a 5/5. Is it revolutionary? I don’t think so? But who’s to say how much he influenced those other artists I like. So my gut says that if I enjoyed it twice in a row, and would gladly listen to it a third time, it’s gotta be a 5/5.

Not a bad listen, but didn't hit me as being all that interesting either.

I really like the folksy elements mixed in with these great distorted guitar tones.

Þunglyndislegt og skrítið. Fílaða.

Epic doom and gloom album. I didn’t enjoy it, not even a little bit. It wasn’t bad though.

I guess he has a talent to both be able to sing and not at the same time. at best it's mediocre folk music. I have seen the album art before so that might be some indicator of cultural influence, though I have never heard a song or the artist before. I guess I get the appeal for songs that give a darker and depressive vibes. Personally I'm not that into his voice or style

This reminded me a lot of Nick Cave, but less terrible. Not really for me.

Good folk

A dreary, country-adjacent mess.

the first time an album on this list has cultivated, for me, that most special of all effects: it has invited me to listen more deeply. it's coy, and strange, and quiet, in a way that draws me completely into it. i have the urge to untie it and pick it apart i've known the title track for years, and it's stunning - there's a plainspoken decisiveness to all its lyrics that i find heartbreaking and warming at once. the rest of the record operates in a stranger mood, one that's hard to pin down, often drawn towards death, evil, misanthropy, but really funny and horny about the whole thing. even the lighter tracks are cryptic - especially Knockturne, a gnarled, imagistic take on the love song, sung very quietly and with a lot of sweetness felt totally beguiled by this record, and very sure of the many charms it will take longer than 24 hours to reveal to me. wonderful stuff!

This is a really nice, thoughtful album. It's restrained, easy to listen to and doesn't overstay it's welcome. Very glad to have discovered it.

Sad sack mumble baritone man music sucks.

really peaceful listen for my saturday

This was Good album and I really thought that it had a lot of really good like songs. I've never heard of this guy but I really liked it

This reminds me of something that might've been made in a bedroom by one guy without a lot of production experience. Almost more of a demo than a completed album, sort of like Springsteen's Nebraska. The sparse instrumentation gives the impression that one guy did everything, which the out-of-sync backing vocals and sometimes off-tune music adding to that impression as parts he added on later. The tone and content of the songs would make it seem like he did it on what happened to be the saddest few days of his life (at least so far). I have no idea if any of that's true, but I doubt the bedroom-record aspect of it is. At least I don't think something made like that would become well-known enough to make this list. Really though, I'm not sure why it's on the list as it is. Creating a mood was probably the best aspect of the album. If melancholy was the goal, he succeeded. Listening to this album felt like walking through a foggy cemetery. Everything seemed dark and sad, without much hope on the horizon. Though it worked, its persistence made it a chore to get through. The music didn't add a lot, putting the focus on the vocals. And the vocals really weren't anything special for me. They sounded strained and pained, but not really in a way that made them resonate. Occasionally something new would come into the mix, like a distorted lead guitar line to add flavor to the sound. Those were probably the best parts of the album, and really the only thing that kept me engaged throughout. Unfortunately those moments were rare, happening on just a few tracks. Madeleine Mary was the only song that really stood out from the rest. I wouldn't exactly call it upbeat, but it had a stronger presence and fuller music than the other tracks. More of that would've helped me like the album more. As a whole, I wouldn't say this was terrible. I also wouldn't say it was all that good. The melancholy vibes and minimalist instrumentation style were overly persistent for me. It was fine at best, but too often below that to me. Overall: 1.8/5

je donne 1 parce que ça me fait trop chier que ce soit pas sur spotify

Bleak, melancholy. I don't really want to write a "meh, boring"-style review but this album leaves me little choice. It just doesn't stand out for me.

Honestly thought by the descriptors this was something I was going to like (chamber pop and folk are my favorite genres), but this was a little sparse without a voice (or guitarwork) to make up for it. Forgettable. 2.5 rounded to 2.

Deeply somber album with great tracks. Might deserve a deeper look at the lyrics.

This album left me kind of torn. While I did thoroughly enjoy it, its lack of availability on Spotify had several diminishing effects. 1) there was no way to experience album flow with 30 seconds of ads between every song 2) given that I listen to music on Spotify, there is no way for it to actually become part of my daily listening, the key criteria that separates 4s from 5s in my system. However, these things are not the albums fault.

This album is unavailable on Spotify, soci finally bit the bullet and transferred my music library to YouTube Music, something I've been wanting to do for awhile now. Based solely on the vibes of this album, including the cover and titles, I was honestly expecting something a little bit darker. This is not to say that I See A Darkness isn't dark at all, of course; there are plenty of heavy themes and subject matter across this album, all sung over sparse and haunting instrumentals that drive home the feeling of existential dread. This is likely just a result of my own personal exposure to albums; when I hear that an album is a dark, I start expecting Mount Eerie or Leonard Cohen, and this album maintains a slightly more bright and open sound to it that keeps it from diving white to those depths emotionally. I think that helps keep it accessible though, and the dichotomy of how lively Billy can sound throughout the album compared to the topics he's discussing lends it a unique sense of disquiet. That balance is hard to strike while staying both emotionally resonant and catchy, so I give all my respect to Bonnie "Prince" Billy for crafting some incredible earworms about death and our own mortality. Highlights: A Minor Place, Nomadic Revelry (All Around), I See A Darkness, Knockturne, Madeleine-Mary, Today I Was An Evil One, Raining In Darling

I like this

A Minor Place 3.7 Nomadic Revery (All Around) 3.5 I See a Darkness 3 Another Day Full of Dread 3.2 Death to Everyone 3.4 Knockturne 3.2 Madeleine-Mary 3.7 Song for the New Breed 3 Today I Was an Evil One 3.3 Black 3 Raining in Darling 3 Score: 3.272727273

More prince andrew than purple rain prince

Dark, somber, mellow. Pretty good listen. I can see myself going back to this album when I'm that mood.

Strange, sad folk.

I just don’t really care about this album. I feel like I get the vibe, but the lyrics didn’t hit me. It was very vague and the instrumentation with a spare that I wasn’t really getting a ton from that either. Even when I try to draw my own meaning out of the vagueness, I am not left with much.

Apparently Pitchfork described this as "the type of record that demands solitary reverence", and I'd agree - I definitely don't think it benefitted from listening to it on YouTube, where it was interrupted by jarringly cheerful adverts for Monzo. Even without the right conditions though, this was very atmospheric.

Wasn’t available 😞 Gave a 3 just as an “average” score