I See A Darkness

Decent album. Kind of angsty and understated

This was fine but I felt by the end it was a little dreary! A lot of the songs sounded similar. I didn't hate it though, definite elements I enjoyed. But would I go back for more? Probably not... Sorry BPB

I really enjoyed this. It's a real shame this isn't on spotify because I'd definitely listen a few more times. It was dark. Reminded me of Leonard Cohen in places. Good stuff.

I had never listened to a Bonnie "Prince" Billy track before, so I went into I See a Darkness with an open mind. In short, this album is dark and moody — but ultimately quite boring. I struggled to find much I enjoyed and wouldn’t revisit it. It felt like Nirvana without the bite and anger, leaving it flat and unmemorable. Favorite song: I thought Death to Everyone was a nice track. Least favorite: Honestly, the whole album felt dull. Album artwork: The cover is pretty cool, though.

Beautiful sad songs that wash over me a bit. Gotta be in the mood.

Dark and broody but nothing of substance except I See a Darkness.

Not bad, but not interesting.

Nice dark indie

Quite liked this one but suspect the situation and mood when playing it may make a difference. Quite liked the more upbeat later re-recorded version of the title track but alas that wasn’t on the album.

This one never got out of first gear. I quite liked his voice but can’t find anything else positive to say.

Simple, intimate and dark. On a cold rainy morning, when the kids have annoyed you on the school run, I found this album quite comforting. By some irony I really loved the track ‘death to everyone’, but not from a literal sense (to clarify, I love my kids). High 3.

Unique and enjoyable. Some great depth throughout.

Not one for me

Haha, I don't know 😅 I saw someone comment that you need to be in a particular mood to enjoy this. I don't know if I've ever been in that mood. I appreciate that someone's exploring or expressing material addressing or suitable to that mood though. I'm going to try my best to stay away from that mood though. It was really down there.

Good album. Standout songs: A Minor Place Madeleine Mary Today Was an Evil One

Could work as slow music for porch sitting, but still unremarkable. If it started looping I probably wouldn't notice

Had high hopes for this, but it quickly became an annoying buzz.

I think there’s some solid songwriting in here but I just couldn’t get into it even after three listens. At worst it’s fairly ordinary folky singer-songwriter fare but I can see how it would be more than that to some people. Just didn’t get there myself.

The album cover put me off - I thought Bonny Billy must be another heavy metal headbanger band. So I was pleasantly surprised when the music began. I thought maybe even a 4, but then it turned out Billy was another kind of headbanger, the melancholic rather than the angry sort, so it dropped to 3. Then to 2 as it got very samey. I don't need this stuff. Maybe it appeals to young men?

I apprecite the good songwriting, and I like folk/indie, though overall it wasn't very memorable at my first listen or just I wasn't into the mood for it today. 3 stars now.

This is one of those albums whose fragile beauty really depends on how you are already feeling going into it. Today it wasn't for me. Different time and place, perhaps.

Pretty meh

Questo è per non essere su Spotify

Ok yes I get it

Not on the Spotify. played while bonking things with a brick

Either he's too depressed or I'm too depressed. Maybe both. Regardless I can't stomach this.

These tracks gave me the feels. Oldham certainly knows how to embed emotion into his melodies. The album was fine. Not too long. A good sequencing. No tracks pop off the listing other than Today I Was An Evil One. Sonically, this reminded me of Modest Mouse with less Rock influence

Nice listen in the vein of Bill Callahan. A little dark and dull at times, but happy to have heard it.

Mornful, sucks that this isn't on spotify because I will probably forget about it.

This is an artist whose name I've only seen, and I had no idea what to expect sonically. I loved it, understated but cohesive, unlike some lo-fi, pared back folk. Reading more about Will Oldham, I guess he was and is super involved with artists I love (and their legacies) like David Berman and Jason Molina (RIP both), so I probably should have listened to this earlier. They all have a shared sensibility I deeply relate to. The fact that people are rating this harshly because it's not available on Spotify... come on. Get real.

Really solid folk album

I LOVE IT SM!!! i couldnt find it on spotify but i listened to it from yt music AND IT IS GOOD. especially the first 5 songs. i will probably listen to it later too.

not on spotify also werd i's eh nie hören

Wow, this is excellent. This is exactly the sort of somber, moody stuff that I often find myself inexplicably craving. I’d heard of Bonnie “Prince” Billy from his association with Joanna Newsom, but this was the first time I’d listened to his music. Favorites: I See A Darkness, Another Day Full of Dread, Madeleine-Mary, Black 4.5 rounded up

Based on the album cover the music was not what I was expecting. Was seriously impressed by this album. I wish it was available on streaming services so I could give it a more thorough review, but youtube adverts make me wanna throw myself out the window. I'll give a 4.

This was interesting. Never listened to them before, I’d be open to listening to more.

Man, this is a different one. Have you ever had someone sing to you? Not at you, like a busker. Not like at a concert, that's for everyone. TO YOU. Like they're sitting with you in your bedroom, and they tell you they had been working on this song for a couple of weeks, and they want to know what you think about it. But, magically, accompanying instruments start playing in the other room. That's what this is. It's incredibly intimate. And you're a little sadder when it's over, and that's okay. It's beautiful and delicate and melancholy and deep, all at once. And I'm a better person for having heard it. My Rating: 5/5

I need a Prozac/Zolaft cocktail after that album. I get it death is the only inevitable and if we focus on that too much this is what happens. There are some musically good points like Madeline-Mary and some of the back half songs. But the overwhelming sadness and depression is just too much for me to feel great about this album.

I like his voice and the simplicity of what he's doing and also appreciate the layers he builds into the tracks. It grew on me a little as the album went on, and I found the later songs to be more palatable than the earlier part of the album. I do prefer songs about death and sadness to be a tad more upbeat though. I'd have to be in a rather dark emotional state to want to listen to this again.

Was not in spotify

Spare, moody, dirge-like. "A Minor Place" is great. Title cut, too (was good enough for Johny Cash!) Perhaps there was room for a few more bells and whistles, but hard to deny the power of simplicity and authenticity of the emotion. "Death to Everyone" is strong, too, getting right to the point, but it also has a sense of humor about it, which one likes. The closer is a fitting and coherent end. This is very much the kind of thing one likes if one like this kind of thing, which one very much does.

I think music is at its best when it makes the listener feel what the artist was feeling when they wrote it. That transfer of emotion, of humanity, is what makes music an art form. I am now depressed after having listened to this album.

Kiedys to dosc lubilem. Lipa nie ma na spotify, co to sie odwala. Troche zamula

I had just gotten bad news before listening to this, so this album felt very therapeutic.

Not on Spotify Tracks not available on Spotify

When I tried to listen to this on Spotify all of the songs were blacked out?? So I had to listen to it song by song on Youtube. I really liked "A Minor Place" but the rest of the album was okay. Nothing really memorable other than that one song.

Soooooo goooood!

Monotonous, unremarkable, depressing

Cryptic, melancholy, minor key and minor attitude with a lack of aptitude. Mostly this music allows me to harness my internal pain and allow it to flow with the music. But this stripped down out of tune and off tempo depression circle jerk ended up coming off more like an open mic performance. Which I guess is cool if you like that kinda thing. But, if you really wanna get your sadness on try Pacific Ocean Blue by Dennis Wilson.

Sad boi folk. Rather enjoyable.

interesting. might grown on me in the future. Highlights include: "I See A Darkness" "Another Day Full Of Dread" "Death to Everyone" "Madeleine-Mary"

Weepy and boring. I could get behind the atmosphere of this, but no compelling songs or performances. Best song: Madeleine-Mary?

Dude singing sad songs with a guitar - sign me up. I was into the Gothic Neil Young-esque tunes. The one criticism I have is that the album was all one note - no joy to be found.

Much more interestingly pleasant and melodic than I expected by the name of the album and songs. Moody but peaceful with lyrics to match. Might not be good if it doesn’t match your mood at the time but great when it does.

Not on Spotify but i liked this artist

Dark but not for me

calming and haunting

nice sounding singer songwriter record

Wow

En España no está en Spotify, los escucharemos en YouTube Music. Deprimente desde la portada hasta las letras y la música. Supongo que hay algún momento en la vida en que te puede apetecer eso.

i only see darkness. the songs are not dark enough.

This is one the big surprises from this project so far. Indie/Folk music for me is very hit or miss, and for the most part not my favorite genre of music. However something about the somberness of this album really resonated with me. I am obsessed with the song "Death to Everyone". I definitely felt an odd emotional connection with that song, it got me thinking about life and death.

i love his voice so much…wow! such strong songwriting. this whole thing is a delight to listen to. i wish it was easier to find but i respect it! one of my favorite finds so far. i’m definitely going to explore his discography.

I like the album cover. The music was also pretty good, just not my favourite style. Will I listen to again: 10%

I liked it. I don’t know what the rest of y’all are smoking.

The album is melancholy perfection . Manages to make its own space is a pretty crowded folky dark music vibes by going darker than most

Nice

This is not listenable

This was good in a low key way. Sort of Neil young vibes.

Eh this was fine

Gloomy indie folk. u/diskosimpa set me up with a Spotify playlist that automatically updates with today's album, to which I set up my morning alarm to automatically play. I was disappointed when the alarm failed this morning, but it turns out it only failed because this album isn't on Spotify. Pranked yet again.

It’s not terrible.

Bit boring TBH.

2.5

I wasn’t a fan of Bonnie Prince Billy - after having seen a show of his and I felt it was too long and maybe I wasn’t in the mood for it. This record though won me over - it’s got good tunes - not too long and happy to refer back to it in the future.

Pari erittäin nautittavaa kappaletta, aloitus A minor place erityisesti. Todella hyvä kokonaisuus: vaikka biisit on rauhallisia, välillä nostetaan tempoa ja volaa, että saadaan kuulija hereille. Vähän Suftjan Stevens -henkeä, mutta ei hänen paisutteluaan. Ei ehkä ihan puhdas 4 ekalla kuuntelukerralla, mut vahva kolme puol.

Minua ei ole rakennettu sillä tavalla, että synkistely saisi minut arvostamaan tasapaksua musiikkia. Today I Was an Evil One oli ihan jännä Rollari-adaptaatio.

You need to be in the right mindset to connect with morbid depressive off-kilter discordant folk, I guess. Unfortunately, I was not, and not sure I will give this another chance. 2⭐️

It's almost like some modern indie-bedroom music only produced in a studio with probably session musicians., Sparse, lowfi, and mumbly! Oh yeah, sure don't want any energy or any emotion other than resignation.

Una voz con mucha emoción, pocas veces escuché algo así. Muy bueno para sufrir en silencio. Por más que no sea mi estilo, seguramente vuelva algún día a escucharlo, mirando algún paisaje.

Uninteresting. I must be missing something but I don't get the appeal.

Kind of Sun Kil Moon-esque. I can hear this influencing a lot of more modern small bands I’ve checked out in the past. A bit too subdued for me but not bad. High 3.

Interesting album. Never heard of it or the artist but I thought it was pretty good. Initially reminded me of Billy Bragg, but the more I listened, the less it did. Not sure how to categorize this. Folky, country, singer-songwriter? Would listen again. High 3

He's a unique artists but not everything worked for me personally. Madeline-Mary reminded me of CSNY and the other spacier tracks towards the back of the album were cool. Low 4 bc I feel nice.

Not available anywhere. 0/5

Out of tune and out of time but still magical in places.

C: 6/10. The first track A Minor Place led me to believe I would adore this album. It was beautiful, gorgeous production of the vocals and piano. Sad but hope-twinged lyrics were sung to a simple, lovely melody. It went downhill from there. The most tediously juvenile of all is Death To Everyone. Billy sounds a bit old to be grappling with the concept of death as though he only just became aware of his own mortality, yet the whole song is him incessantly repeating that we're all going to die as if that's some enlightened message only he could impart. The album's clumsy and adolescent lyricism is sometimes just what is needed to produce a poignant and touching portrayal of a dark subject. In oh no, I see a Darkness, the narrator struggles internally with suicidal ideation and wonders if his friend might notice. The chorus' repetition of the track's title accompanied by a piano-bar piano that sounds like it's underwater made me feel like I was being buried slowly. The album best succeeds when Billy leans away from the Trent Reznor-esque lyrics he doesn't have the musical chops for and into a twangier folk sound (a la A Minor Place, Madeleine-Mary). A highlight of the sound is the delayed onset vocal layering, though it borders on hard to bear as Billy reaches the top of his range. More flowers for the production of the piano and percussion. Both maintain their sonic nuance despite being buried deep in the background of the mix, giving the music a lot of depth without being muddy.

Just a bit too grumpy for my liking.

No entiendo las malas reseñas de este álbum. Es verdad que las letras son melancólicas, la voz peculiar y los coros muy discordantes. Pero eso no tiene nada de malo. Es un folk experimental, avant-garde, o "gótico", como he leído en alguna parte, y eso lo hace más interesante que muchos otros álbumes de folk de esta lista. El álbum perfecto para un día de bajón. Volver a escuchar a otro de esos grupos que todo el mundo conoce está muy bien, pero este es el tipo de álbum que hace este challenge interesante. 3.5

No tracks on Spotify

Not on Spotify

This wasn't bad but also didn't do much for me.

Quite dark and not upbeat for my liking - needs some joy in his life

Like how I wish the BETWEEN THE BARS album from Elliott Smith sounded. A great album, probably 5 stars. I'm not always in the mood for sad, moody music, but when I am this hits that spot. Even the lack of Spotify didn't make me too mad.

Didn't care much about this one way or the other. But a couple catchy tracks. 4/5 Highlights: A Minor Place Madeleine-Mary

Lucky it's not getting knocked a star for accessibility. It's not available on Spotify as of this review, and some videos on YouTube are unavailable. How am I to return to an artist if they make their music hard to access? The songs feel raw, like they’re coming straight from a place of hurt. It’s stripped down, kind of like early Neil Young but with less polish. The simplicity does work, though. It’s like sitting with someone who doesn’t need to say much to get the point across.

10/10 great album and amazing lyrics.

I like a few of Will Oldham's collaborations and he doubtless has a place in music. I don't enjoy this album as a whole. I don't think it's very good.

I just didn't care. This is such a horribly depressing album that it's really hard to like. The singing isn't even particularly good, and the songs are just so drab. Maybe that's the aesthetic, I don't know. This album felt like a prelude to suicide. It felt like what someone who's locked themselves in their bedroom due to depression must feel like. This album probably aides in bringing people into depression. This album just felt like the odd, poetic ramblings of a sad sack of a human being, one that is such a sad and useless sack that he can't even garner any sympathy. It had moments that felt like they were trying too hard to be edgy or dark. I mean for fuck's sake, some of the song titles?! Are you kidding me? "A Minor Place," "I See a Darkness," "Another Day Full of Dread," "Death to Everyone," "Today I Was an Evil One," and "Black." Ok, edgelord, do your thing. And I get that this is all probably the point, or at least adjacent to the point of this album. I get that that's the mood it's meant to convey, and I get that it's probably all some grand statement about I don't know what. But it's so on the nose in moments. And I just didn't care, and I didn't like it. This joins the exclusive group that is the One Star Club. RIP. I need to pick a standout track but man, I don't know. I guess I'll choose one. Oof. Standout Track: Black

Could not find

I liked this. Definitely an album that fits a mood. Pretty sad lyrics and tone, but done well. 3/5 Might listen again

Not on Spotify for some reason but it is on Amazon Music which I luckily have a free period of. I constantly confuse this guy's name with Father John Misty, who I always forget the name of. I like this more. Nomadic Revery was pretty great. The rest flowed pretty well. I don't really know the Johnny cash covered one. Possibly a record I could grow to love, however today it was sort of just on. It wasn't arresting folk like say, Richard Dawson. It was far gentler than that. And as such could be much cosier to cuddle up to. But that would require repeated listening, and I'm too busy today. Sorry Billy

Didn't realize Bonnie Prince Billy had been around this long. Had first heard of him back in 2009 and barely listened to him back then, but this older album sounded exactly like I expected. Real melancholy and simple.

We moesten maar weer de hel van onbetaald YouTube door staan, maar ik moet zeggen dat 't het wel waard was eigenlijk. Ik kende de titelsong, het origineel en z'n vele covers, maar ik wist niet dat er een heel album aan verbonden zat. Het is indie folk met een duistere ondertoon, en die kwetsbaarheid vooropstelt. Hierdoor is het soms iets te zwaarmoedig voor de everyman, maar het laat wel een indruk achter. En het is echt niet dat je alleen opgesloten zit met z'n zwaarmoedige toon, omdat de muziek bij tijd en wijlen best beweegt en - heel soms zelfs - opbeurt. Vond het wel een karakteristieke plaat, en ik ga zeker in de gaten houden of hij weer op Spotify verschijnt. 7,5/10 Highlights: I See A Darkness Death to Everyone Nomadic Revery (All Around)

Tussen de reclames door van hogedrukspuiten en vakantieparken waar altijd de zon schijnt levert Billy best een mooi album af. OOR is ook altijd fan van deze beste man maar echt veel eerder heeft het me nooit super gegrepen. Ook na deze luisterbeurt blijft hangen dat het album nog een poging nodig heeft... MAAR DAN WEL OP SPOTIFY AUB! 6,5/10

I complained about sparseness previously with Nick Cave, but I like how Will Oldham uses it here. The space that the minimal guitar, bass, drums and piano creates a melancholic and introspective atmosphere that builds upon the lyrical themes and Oldham's vulnerable vocals. The instrumentation isn't always necessarily sparse, for example Nomadic Revery (All Around) actually has a pretty cool guitar solo towards the end, it's just unusually hidden behind Oldham's voice. Another Day Full Of Dread also features a solo, this time front and centre, which sounds full of potential to be a shredder but it's as though the player can barely get through it (in a good way, if that makes any sense, in that it adds to the downtrodden tone). Sorrowful but stunning at the same time I liked this quite a lot, it seems like something that may take a lot of time to sink in and could hit pretty hard at a low or vulnerable point for the listener. Wish this was on Spotify so I could listen to it from start to finish without stupid Google adverts completely ruining the atmosphere Highlights: I See A Darkness, Madeline-Mary, Another Day Full Of Dread

Mid at best, could of been so much better.

I'm not keen on folk it appears

Par moments un peu trop doux pour moi, mais c'est un très bon album très chargé émotionnellement. Ça sonne beaucoup plus authentique que tellement d'artistes similaires. 8/10

This is not for me, but I can see it is charming to some degree.

I couldn't find album on Spotify. Played the title track and other songs. Liked it.

I enjoyed it. I’d probably give it a 3.5

Never heard of this but its actually very good.

It was ok

almost fell asleep holy fuck

Jeg har kun hørt navnet før så jeg ved ikke helt, hvad jeg forventede, men det var i hvert fald ikke Bon Iver 10-15 år før tid. Den slags musik jeg ikke ofte sætter på, men når jeg er i humør til det rammer det helt rigtigt

Will Oldham har en magisk stemme. Meget terapeutisk og noget nær perfekt album, de tre første sange er gode nok til at det ville have været 5 stjerner selv hvis alt efter det var elevatormusik.

Pretty long and boring.. Not offensively bad, just not very interesting.

i think i would have liked this much more when i was younger and really into, like, keaton henson and artists like that. i’d like to know what allegedly makes this so special compared to every other melancholic white guy with a guitar. it does sound VERY 2010s (in a bad way, unfortunately) despite being from 1999 so i guess i can give it credit for that? i’d rather just listen to the magnolia electric co. by songs: ohia......

That was really pretty! Honestly none of the songs stuck out to me until the last one, but they were all still good. Not something I can picture myself reaching for but I wouldn’t be upset if someone put this on again. Fav tracks: Raining In Darling

I’ve never heard of this album or artist before, but I’ve seen the cover on the list website, and every time I see it, I’m intrigued by it. I love how on the list website has Britney Spears’s Baby One More Time wedged between Turbonegro’s Apocalypse Dudes and this album. The pink cover of Spears’s album wedged between two black album covers, one of which is emblazoned with a skull that looks like it came from an x-ray machine with a static problem, is quite the juxtaposition. Anyway, enough rambling, it’s time to see about this darkness that Bonnie “Prince” Billy is seeing (can you really see darkness?). This album was quite the pleasant surprise. I really enjoyed the stripped-down instrumentation, the soft vocals, and the songwriting. The melodies on each song, while simple, were really beautiful and pleasant to listen to. A few notes on some individual songs: -“A Minor Place” was one of my favorite songs on the album. I loved the piano and guitar playing, and the main melody was really great. -I didn’t enjoy how “Nomadic Revery” started, but when the tone shifted into something darker and more intense about halfway through, I really enjoyed it. -The title track was another one of my favorite songs on the album. The piano melody was really dark and haunting, and I loved the lyrics. -I loved the muted backing vocals on “Another Day Full of Dread.” Those backing vocals really gave the song a haunting feeling, and it was one of the most unique techniques on the album to establish that mood. -The guitar playing on “Death to Everyone” was some of my favorite on the album. I loved the use of distortion, and the percussion was great too. -“Madeleine-Mary” was my favorite song on the album. I loved the bluesy guitars and the urgency of the vocals. Overall, this was a great album, and something really unique for the late nineties, when boy bands and pop divas dominated the radio. My only complaint against this album is that it was a bit of a one-trick-pony in terms of sound and mood, but it was still done really well. I’d listen to this album again some day, and I’d probably even consider buying a copy of it since it’s not on Spotify.

Most people will focus on the lyrics, which makes sense, since they are poetic, oblique, and uniquely literary. Yet they wouldn't function as effectively as they so often do if weren't for the efficient and compelling instrumentation. See 'A Minor Place,' 'I See A Darkness,' 'Death to Everyone,' 'Knockturn,' 'Madeleine-Mary,' 'Today I Was an Evil One.' It's not all sombre piano, but big guitars too. I'm not too down having heard it. Maybe that's b/c 'by dread I'm inspired.' It has sweetness and tenderness, needed components of downcast forms. Possibly he has managed to weaken the attack.

I've always felt that this album should be right in my wheelhouse, but for whatever reason it always falls slightly flat. I think this is the first time I have been able to listen all the way through. It is decent, but I don't get all the hype. 3/5

Not available, I'll have to come back to this someday.

didn't like it, not for me

I won't shit on this. I can see why some people love it and find it beautiful but it's not for me

Not good man, just not good.

well this was something i listened to. could i write poetry to this? n

The title song is good, but I like the upbeat version of it a lot more. This is a downer of an album, and nothing really stands out from the rest. Needs more variety!

Loved it. Quite the surprise.

First track was ok, then it became very boring. Didn't care at all for this one.

Wow - this guy is peculiar… and I like it

Really really haunting and just so good. Loved Nomadic revery, i see a darkness, and raining in darling

I see darkness also, because this puts me to sleep. 2 stars or D-.

Moody and gloomy and not an album you will listen to and leave smiling. That’s not to say it’s bad. Bonnie manages to create a real atmosphere with this album and it’s at least interesting. It’s solid but not something I’ll revisit soon

Blech

Modestest Mouse. It almost lulls you to sleep in like a siren song kind of way. Very simple yet pretty effective. 7/10

I had never heard of the album or the artist, and had to listen on YouTube because it wasn’t available to play on Spotify, but apart from the ads I really liked it. A sort of alternative folk sound.

When you really want to sit down and have an existential crisis, here's the accompaniment.

Melodisch

Chill, sad album. I really enjoyed it.

Ooh, pleasantly mild. Maybe a little too mild.

Was digging it, but having to use YouTube really ruins the flow...

N/A Unavailable to stream

Weird

I See a Darkness Death to Everyone

Wasn't my favorite, very sad, low sound.

Well, I WAS having as good day. While I can totally see how this is someone's favorite album, I think it's no secret that it's 100% a mood album. You had to be in the right palce at the right time to really resonate with this one, and like I said, I was having a nice morning when I popped this on. I felt it was too easy to tune out to while I wrote emails. I would like to (and plan to) come back to this one when I have the time to dedicate wholly to it. I'll drink a glass of bourbon and sulk in my existential thoughts. Or wait, you know what, today's election day in the US! That's depressing enough. Got all I need.

Bonnie “Prince” Billy has to think about his entire life before he plays.

This was quite sad and discordant as expected. One of my old colleagues loved this band and nothing goes better with sitting in a windowless basement office on an otherwise lovely summer day than Bonnie "Prince" Billy. If you're into that kind of thing.

This was mostly good but there were a few moments where the vocals were mixed so prominently it sounded like someone was in the room singing karaoke to you

That was kinda awful. Just sad for no reason. I think maybe I'm in a bad mood and maybe this genre is not for me, but wow I did not enjoy listening to this guy strum and whine for like 40 minutes.

I did not know what to expect from this, which I see now is an egregious oversight because I do get down with a lot of folk punk, finger-picking, dark themes, kind of music. The opening track was my favorite and I was sad when the album was over. Maybe truly a 4.5 but, rounding up

Note: Not available on Spotify. I'm sure it was no coincidence that this got served up on Hallow'een. Creepy and lovely in equal measure, this collection of well-written pieces sits with you and stays for awhile. Quite good. Unexpected bangers: Death to Everyone, Black, Knockturne

That was an unexpected treat on a Sunday morning

Umm… happy for y’all. This was much better than many terrible things but still not my cuppa tay.

I feel this this morning

As soon as the album cover came up, I knew I would love this album. Apart from I didn't. The first track was awkward and repetitive, almost to the point of being annoying. I felt a little let down; were my expectations too high maybe? The rest of the album was pleasant enough, but not great by any standard. I tried a relisten when I had more time to concentrate and this went a little better. But I found this very hard to rate. I feel it's somewhere between 2 and 4 stars, as it wasn't awful, but it wasn't perfection. On the basis that I will almost certainly attempt a relisten again in the future, it gets 4 stars.

pues sí, hay que estar en el ánimo para escuchar un disco oscuro, invernal y triste. Pero algo bueno tiene si Johnny Cash decide hacer un cover de una de sus canciones

just listened to this full thing twice in a row. it's sad boy autumn i normally bristle a bit at this countrified indie-folk sound, because it tends to come off as a bit smug, inauthentic, or above itself. but not only is this record free from those trappings but it also, with its grim sincerity and sparse arrangements, really hits. 4.5/5

I could hear some different sounds in this, like Beck, but overall didn't really care for it. Most songs sounded the same.

First listen. It was ok.

I really wanted to like this. I didn't. It's kind of proto-slowcore? Give me some texture, please. Some dynamics, even. Not for me. Highlights: Madeleine-Mary, Today I Was An Evil One, Raining In Darling

Solid, NMH vibes - not on spotify though

This is a nice little contemporary folk album. Very depressing, which is something I usually like, but found it to be just ok. I definitely had heard of this before, though, so it probably does warrant inclusion on the list. Key tracks: A Minor Place I See a Darkness Death to Everyone

Tem uma utilidade de grande importância, lembrar escutar mais a versão do Johnny Cash da música título.

Not a particularly exciting or uplifting record.

First, let me apologize. Listening to the first few tracks, I had the horrible image that this is what I would sound like if I were to do a drunken karaoke. If you ever had to listen to that, and liked it but his album is for you

So very very boring

grim and funereal, this album definitely isn't a good pick if you're looking for something happy to listen to. this often morbid and dreary sense of songwriting can resonate with plenty of people. it's another one of those albums on here where you have to sit down and listen to it to fully enjoy it. just like how positive and euphoric emotions can be used as an outlet for music, the same thing goes for these complex at times emotions too.

Muy sentido. Me gusta

No es malo, rescato un par de temas, pero intenté escucharlo con atención y me aburrió

Pretty alright, some really good stuff and some meh stuff

Chato para um caralho

Weird new age hippy rock

Not my cup of tea, but good in some cases, the ones that I liked the most are black and I see darkness

This was a bummer. A compelling bummer but a bummer nonetheless.

5/10 Singer Songwriter

Fairly standard indie folk with a gothic twist

Low key, melodic and unpolished. Not really my jam

Depressing, caterwauling shite.

I’d say Spotify refused it.

I couldn’t get this album on Spotify so I picked the album closest in year to this one. I’ll be reviewing Superwolf as if it were this one. This guy is like a really mellowed out Evan Dando which would make this album a really mellowed out Lemonheads album. Very slow and less than happy sounding. This type of music lends itself to a certain type of person who is feeling a certain type of thing in the spectrum of sadness. That’s a beat around the bush summary for an album that wasn’t the one pictured and could sound nothing like that particular album.

Lovely gentle album, just the thing to listen to on a long train home after an exhausting 5 days at a conference.

Like the girl in science class you won't admit to your buddies you kind of like, it's weirdly ptetty in its ugly way.

An absolutely beautiful and, at points, heart-breaking album. I prefer the Johnny Cash version of the title track - to the surprise of absolutely no-one who knows me! All of his (many) other albums and projects are now officially on my "after the list" list

Wtf was that? Not the worst on this list got sure, but hmm. 2.4.

Maybe it says something about the current state of my mental health, but I really enjoyed this album and am going to listen to more by this artist. Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 3/5

82% Best: A Minor Place; I See A Darkness; Death To Everyone; Madeleine-Mary Must-Hear? Sure

Strange album. Thought it would be dark, but the music is reasonably cheerful. Some of the lyrics seem dark. Not sure what to make of this one.

Not on Spotify

Really enjoyable album. This type of melancholy was perfect for a Monday. It wasn't on Spotify so I didn't listen as much as I'd like. I'll revisit this one.

Didn’t particularly love it, didn’t particularly hate it. The last song on the album is beautiful and I wish the album was on Spotify so I could save it.

Excellent songwriting and atmosphere. Excited to spend more time with this one. 4.5/5

It's a very hard album to rate, because I WANT to like this album a lot more than I actually do. I remember this well from when it came out, and many of my friends loved everything about this, some even calling it the best they've ever heard. And I get it. I just don't feel it.

A nice album. Nothing ground breaking.

Moody, but too mellow for me

++: Death to Everyone, Today I Was an Evil One +: A Minor Place, Nomadic Revery (All Around), I See a Darkness, Another Day Full of Dread, Knockturne, Madeleine-Mary, Song for the New Breed, Black, Raining in Darling 8,1/10

No recuerdo nada de este álbum. Más mid imposible.

Another album that's not available on Spotify...I'm going to go out on a limb and say that if it's this difficult for a person to listen to an album, it is not so essential that it belongs on this list. This is already the best of the albums I couldn't listen to on Spotify. I bet the Avett Brothers love this guy. Man, this is depressing. His voice reminds me of Damien Rice. O definitely feels like it was written after listening to this. The music is good, I'm going to have to give this a second listen to really get into the lyrics. The drums in Madeline-Mary makes it different from the rest of the album but it's great. This album was good. I'm going to listen to it a second time before I give it a final rating but I definitely liked it. This was a few years before it's time probably.

Sad and depressing but I still found myself listening to the whole album. Its okay, not my brand of sad music but its lyrically beautiful in places.

The star of the best Kanye West music video does his best Radiohead impression and it’s pretty good! I always enjoy seeing Will Oldham so this was exciting. It’s a big bummer of an album but we’re all going to die someday so it fits just right!

Between 2 and 3 stars. Couple solid songs.

Indie sähellystä huhhuh deep meaning vrm vrm... ei jaksa kujnnella edes conceptia kun ei biisit ala useiden herätyskellojen soitolla..

Precioso álbum. No lo conocía pero lo volveré a escuchar de nuevo.

I really wanted to like the album a lot more than I did. I don't know why it didn't connect with me; I appreciate the stripped-down nature of the songs, and the lyrical subject matter is introspective and relatable. But something about the vocal performance and production is what turned me off. It feels shaky and uneven, and none of the dual-tracked songs are successful. All in all a huge missed opportunity, with some solid moments in between. Top tracks: I See A Darkness, Song For The New Brees

Can't listen

He must have had his reasons

Not available

First few tracks I liked but then it become a bit samey

This was an interesting discovery. An album that really needs to be felt to be understood. Fun Fact: This album isn't on Spotify (at least not in my country) so I had to turn to YouTube and luckily I found it. There I had the opportunity to read the comments section and I wanted to highlight one of them here: "A very special album. I revisit this every few years - it is it's own universe."

pretty good album weighed down by mid songs and lack of variety. if i could give this a 3 1/2 i would but i’ll round down for now

Pre-listening thoughts: holy cow this album art is UGLY. Not something I want to look at first thing in the morning. No clue who this is but everyone says this is an indie folk album which means I probably will not enjoy it! Post/during listening thoughts: this album isn’t even on Spotify?? Musi it is. This is exactly what I thought it would be - minimal arrangements with mid vocals and lyrics that probably mean something to someone but not to me upon first listen. I want so much more from the instrumentation and from the vocal performance (sometimes the vocals are just BAD) and arrangement. I know folk music is relatively simplistic but plenty of folk music does more than this while still spotlighting the lyrics. Yawwwwwnnnnn 1.5/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: not a chance Fav tracks: none! Whole album is not for me. Also not on streaming so I couldn’t have added any to my playlist anyways Least fav tracks: Black, I see a darkness, Knockturne

Better than I expected based off the album cover, but nothing super memorable.

Har äntligen lyssnat igenom skivan (på YT). Hade kanske för höga förväntningar. Hade lyssnat på I see a darkness-låten tidigare och gillar den. Den här typen av musik ligger mig varm om hjärtat. Men i slutändan tycker jag nog övriga låtar saknar lite av den stämning som I see a darkness bjudet på. Överlag ligger Billy snäppet under andra "deppiga" singersongwriters.

Melankoliskt och rätt deppigt, men ändå fint. Mer förmedlande av känsla och stämning än en stor musikalisk upplevelse. Svag trea.

really sad but pretty album - its a bummer it's not on spotify

Such a quiet album, I kept increasing the headphones volume on Apple Music throughout the experience, then had my eardrums assaulted by a different Bonnie Billy song queued up at the end. Having known this guy only from a role in A Ghost Story (2017), I didn’t know what to expect from his songs, although I had an idea: harsh growls à la Tom Waits, as befitting the title + skull on the cover. I was wrong. It’s still a dark, sometimes emotional listen, but the music & Oldham’s voice is immediately easy on the ears. HL: title track, “Death To Everyone”, “Madeleine-Mary”, “Today I Was An Evil One” August 20, 2024

It was just slightly ever so boring

Highway to depression

This album, and artist, are a perennial favorite of mine. Will Oldham has such a prophetic nature and the voice to match. The music is slow and off kilter adding to gravitas. This one makes me feel deeply and I like that about it.

Peaceful, emotional, raw but not unpolished. This was nice.

Day221 - gen-x is the coolest most melancholy generation and i love it. this is not bad and i really liked madeleine mary

i take my life like i kept it

Quite melancholy, but very nice sound. Sounds like a gloomy day

A total lack of energy

Good to a degree. Maybe a bit uneventful tho

Beautiful and fragile album of Will Oldham. Great emotional songs with somewhat dark lyrics.

Not for me

(Yawn)

Yes it's dour and downbeat, but there's beauty and optimism throughout. This one needs further listens, but time well spent.

Gothic Folk was a new genre for me. It's dark and broody, just like the album cover. And though I like dark stuff, I prefer it heavier. This was light as a feather. Loved the song Black. Maybe I'll revisit this. But for now, it's just meh.

I only listened to about half of this since it isn't on spotify. It was decent.

3.5 stars. Dark and brooding but musically it's pretty good. Standouts are "Death to Everyone" and title track.

Nicht verfügbar

Not available on Spotify

Not on spotify

Занудная нудятина

He’s like a miniature Thom Yorke singing sad songs in his basement. I’d give it a 3 if I didn’t have to go to YouTube and listen to commercials.

Decent album but a bit boring. I liked the alternative sound but it was just a bit too dreary 3 ⭐️

Joah. Geht.

Really good! I'm not the biggest fan of the "loose" production, but the songwriting was great, in the gloomiest possible way.

This made me depressed which was a surprise based on its cheerful album art.

Fun, depressing, an album that is somehow inaccessible in full anywhere but Youtube (or buying on bandcamp but not ready to commit!)

Shame about this not being on Spotify, I was quite enjoying it but the ad breaks after every song completely ruined it. Very sombre, can see this hitting hard when in the right mood. Wish I could listen another couple of times to judge properly. 3.5*

Not on Spotify

Mellow, nice if you’re one the mood for quiet core.

I havent spun this in so many years. What a mistake. A devastating great album. 4.5

I’ve never heard him before and I really like this. Definitely a grower. I find it kind of intriguing. By far the best ‘YouTube only so I can’t do anything else on my phone while I’m listening’ album so far’

3.5 was good

The most apt genre given by Wikipedia for this very dark, slightly depressing album is Goth Folk.

Overall boring and I don't see the point. The songwriting had some interesting bits, but never enough that I cared what was being said.

Lyrically it was good, but the instrumentation tended to be mostly uninteresting for me. Favorites were A Minor Place, I See A Darkness, and Black.

Depressing album.

I liked this one. Well, I liked the music. I read the description and I may regret having liked it if the words are as off as the Murder Ballads album. I really wasn't paying much attention to the lyrics but I liked his voice and the music and the generally dark and brooding mood of it all.

A slow sad burn, but it's great songwriting and especially some of the early tracks hit you in the soul.

I spent a few weeks of the summer of 2004 in a Carlisle, PA townhouse with Bonnie "Prince" "Will Oldham" Billy. He was a lovely chap. And after that, I listened to a lot of his music, including this. And it's difficult to separate the art from the nostalgia, but that was a pretty great summer all in. If you'd like to know what it was like, watch The Guatemalan Handshake (Todd Rohal, 2006). Also, the video for I See A Darkness (not the version on this album, but still) is top drawer.

Forced to listen on YouTube, and I couldn't abide constantly needing to skip adverts. I ain't paying for no stinkin' Premium. Anyway, I only got halfway through. What I did hear, however, really intrigued. Sensitive balladry, spooky southern gothic folk, and music so ramshackle that it seemingly threatened to fall apart at the seams. Might go buy a physical copy of this - until then, a tentative (but well-earned, on the basis of what I heard) four stars.

I listened to this when it came out and recall enjoying it but I just have been depressed because it is good but I don’t think I’ll listen again

Yawn ….

So I gotta be honest, I see a lot of people rating “I See A Darkness” fairly high, and I just don’t get it at all… Like AT ALL… Musically, there is no variation whatsoever – and the basic instrumentation could not have been simpler, in addition to being incredibly dull… Lyrically, there is absolutely nothing poetic in ANY of the lyrics… Nothing clever, nothing brilliant, and absolutely nothing memorable… And then we come to the vocal delivery and style – and again, nothing imaginative, nothing stylistically worth noting – and its really not even singing, it’s just sort of sad talking at best… I get that people may be attracted to it because of the depressive mood and the sadness of the album, but there are PLENTY of depressing albums out there (i.e. “The Wall” - Pink Floyd, “Back To Black” – Amy Winehouse, come to mind…), and while incredibly draining, the lyrics are amazing, the music is exceptionally well-done, and the vocal delivery is a perfect fit for the mood of the music… Essentially – everything that “I See Darkness” most certainly is NOT… Gets a 1 instead of a 0, as at least it was original – but there is a lot of original crap out there, and this is some of it…

3.5

It's a shame this album is removed from Spotify. It's a twisted, dark but ambient composition that reminded me of Nick Cave.

Not bad but what is so special?

Pretty dull musically. Interesting lyrics sung with simplistic vocals.

Not super interested. Not bad either 2.75

A lot to like here.

Bad

Nostalgic to my early 20s getting plastered by myself in my kitchen apartment. 3.5

I really like this. I love how soft and melancholy it is. It's stripped back, yet still has a lot of depth. It's such a shame I had to listen on YouTube with all the advert interruptions, because it's a real mood from start to finish. I love his soulful singing. The artwork just tops it off. Great find! I've uhmmed and ahhed on this all day, but the fact that I've listened to this album like 5 times already tells you all you need to know. I have to go big on the rating. They're rare, and few and far between, but this is what we all want right? Completely new musical discoveries that really take you and capture your imagination. Great stuff.

Oh fuck no

Meh

I want to beat up on it because it was hard to locate, but I kinda liked it.

"Will Oldham" rings a faint bell, but I had never heard this before. Whathow?? "Nomadic Revery" might be the single most hauntingly beautiful song I've come across in my 163 albums so far. Incidentally, while the whole thing is playing, again, in its Youtube tab, a track from Bon Iver's debut is paused halfways and Jason Molina is on the screen, looking at me from the cover of "Let Me Go, Let Me Go, Let Me Go": I'm now like the dude in the conspiracy meme picture, but discovering a new piece in a frail, dusty and hushed lofi-folk music puzzle. Gorgeous album, that one - thank you, 1001AYMHBYD.

Sur la pointe d’être trop geignard, mais je laisse passer pour aujourd’hui, je me sens d’humeur joviale

Beetje saaie singersongwriter met een jammerende stem. Er is zoveel beter in dit genre.

Ik was dit bij het tweede nummer met die valse samenzang al helemaal zat... Later komen er nog wat krassende geluiden. En blijkt het weer zo'n toneel-zanger te zijn. Wat komt dit nep over... Hij ziet de ondergang; daar is hij duidelijk over. Ik hoor die ondergang. Dus er is een match tussen muziek en boodschap. Krijgt hij toch geen extra sterretje voor.

Vrij depressieve plaat van iemand die zichzelf Prince noemt. Je zou denken dat hij wat bombastischer is ingesteld. Het is juist een heel rustig album, waar meneer Billy zijn zielenroerselen op uit kan storten. Op een bepaalde manier voelt het urgent aan, er zit zeker emotie in. Het is iets wat je even op je in moet laten werken. En waar je niet altijd zin in hebt. Ik luister niet zo naar teksten, maar Death to Everyone komt me heel zwartgallig over. "Death to Everyone is gonna come". Zijn stem doet me af en toe wat denken aan Neil Young. Madeleine-Mary klinkt als Ohio van Neil Young. Ook al zo'n gezellige tekst "Four dead in Ohio". Misschien moet hij wat minder Sonnema drinken voordat hij zijn zielenroerselen op plaat vastlegt. En toch he, ik vind het wel wat hebben. Het schuurt, het is rauwe emotie. Maar het is moeilijk te beoordelen. Ik ben geneigd een 3 te geven, met uitschieters naar zowel boven als beneden.

Terrible.

Загробное говно

It’s ok

I think it's a good album, but one where I wasn't in the right mood to truly love it. Like, if I was happened to come into this thing while I was feeling sad, it probably would've blown my mind. For sure, the few times I tried to put myself in that headspace, it clicked way better. Though without truly being there—y'know, not pretending... I can feel it, rumbling under the ground, but at most it's a 4 teetering on a 3, speaking in terms of personal enjoyment. At least it wasn't the slog the album covered made it look like it'd be, oof.

This album has a feeling of a personal concert where the artist has the freedom to talk about what they have on their mind.

It’s a 2.5 that I’ll kindly bump up to a 3. I just don’t think this album ever really hit a groove for me; I appreciate what it’s trying to do, and on the few songs where everything did come together for me, I thought it did its job well. I just think the other songs don’t execute the vision as cleanly or as clearly – there are times where I think the metaphors and the imagery and the storytelling get a bit muddled, and when those get muddled, it takes the focus away from what’s already a pretty minimal soundscape, which simply just never really worked for me throughout this album. I get what it’s going for, and maybe if I caught this album on a moodier day, I’d be feeling it a bit more, but there’s nothing here that fully grabbed my attention save for a few songs. It isn’t bad though, just not my thing, so I’m OK with a 3.

Crap. Who actually enjoys this???

hier en daar een klein lichtpuntje, vooral veel Darkness

Has a faint resemblance to REM. It's a very slow, sleepy album

The songs are OK, but he doesn't even seem to try to sing in tune. I know people who love it and I kind of understand why, but I disagree. With very little extra effort, this could have been a 3 star record to me, but alas. Favorite song: death to everyone

Not a big fan, slow, kinda boring, not fan of his voice. some interesting dark sounds, maybe another time and place.

I am on an incredible streak of great depression albums right now. I love the stripped back sound of this album, you could certainly get a bit much with the effects especially considering the lyrical content, but keeping it a bit more laid back gives it a much more resigned and somber energy.

It has the necessary emotionality for such an album. I buy the singer's absolute despondency and melancholic, nihilistic view of the world. But what the album lacks is the collateral beauty that comes with the sadness. There is little grace, elegance, or sophistication in the vocals, lyrics, or melody. Maybe I'm just too sensitive, but I prefer the darkness of a starry night to the endless emptiness of a black hole. To truly see darkness, you need a little light, or you just don't see anything at all.

Gear: Meze 109 PRO Artwork: Majora's Mask Vibes Mix: reduziert und präzise Musik: in den (raren) besten Momenten setzen sich die Majora's Mask Vibes des Cover-Artworks fort - zumeist rührt sich bei den spärlichen Arrangements bei mir aber gar nichts Wertung: 💀💀(💀)/5

One of my late discoveries, wonder if it would have impacted me the same had I discovered it from this list. Gets a five for the gloriously horny, weird, chaotic nomadic revery breakdown. But all these songs while hipster folk of their time manage to transcend into american standards. His voice is thin and fragile, but somehow powerful and perfect. I've tried his other stuff, but nothings matched. My only quibble is death to everyone which on my naive read is just recycling my least favorite philosophical trope: that the fact that life ends is what gives it meaning. Fuck that noise, I've got plenty of meaning in life without it ending, and I've got a lot more than 1001 albums to listen to literally and metaphorically. All the city's on me. Nip nap, it's all a trap!

lots of great stuff here, my favorite track was probably today i was an evil one. unfortunately alt country rarely manages to click with me as much as regular folk or country does so this fails to go above a 7/10. also i hate being that guy but this not being on spotify and not making it free to listen to on bandcamp is extremely annoying.

Am I depressed?

This album is just beautiful, that's the best way that I can describe it. It's so soft and mellow, and honestly really comforting almost. The vocals are simply gorgeous and so passionate yet so soft. It breaks my heart that this album not only isn't on Spotify, but also has such a low average rating. (As of May 2024), 2.96!?!? Are you guys for real? Appalling.

Didn't hate it but Father John Misty does this style much better. This album is quite a downer and I got tired of it midway through. Pass.

EN FAIT L'ALBUM EST SI DÉSESPÉRÉ...COUS AVEZ TORD. Bonnie Prince Billyn, tai kuten hänen läheiset saavat kutsua: ''BPB'' albumi on sykähdyttävä, ajanpysäyttävä täräyttävä kokemus.. koska aika kulkee niin pirun hitaasti kun kuuntelee kaltaista sontaa! pari hyvää biisiä laimentaa paskaseosta pikkusen mutta kun pää ainesosana ihme öyhötys, ei oikein miellyttävä maku sen jälkeen. vähän kokkiretoriikkaa sinne. EN FAIT L'ALBUM EST SI DÉSESPÉRÉ...COUS AVEZ TORD. EN FAIT L'ALBUM EST SI DÉSESPÉRÉ...COUS AVEZ TORD. EN FAIT L'ALBUM EST SI DÉSESPÉRÉ...COUS AVEZ TORD. EN FAIT L'ALBUM EST SI DÉSESPÉRÉ...COUS AVEZ TORD. EN FAIT L'ALBUM EST SI DÉSESPÉRÉ...COUS AVEZ TORD. death to everyone

Neil Young like quavering voice, pretty bleak lyrics and minimal, slow music. A little depressing. Today I am not in the mood.

It’s interesting. I think it’s ahead of its time in terms of the sort of gorilla recording - very spurr the moment, I’m moody, grab a guitar and start recording. I think possibly influential to Alex G and Elliot Smith. Buuuuuuuttttt not the easiest or most pleasant listen.