I See A Darkness

excellent. chillingly gorgeous. love sombre country, really wish this was on streaming, lowk might cop digital for this its that good

I was not familiar with this artist before, but I really enjoyed it. Sadly the album listed was not on spotify, but I just listened to a mixture of other songs by this artist. I am a fan!

Need to revisit this at a later, more optimal time. Streaming from YouTube is less than ideal listening experience but the vibe this album lays down is very situational and something I can see myself being drawn to.

Almost perfect.

What a ripper. Shot Bill. Title track alone is worth 5 stars.

Known as a perfect 10 in pitchfork

There was a lot of parts I found to be too slow or easy to let fall into the background. There was also a lot of parts that caught my ear. Very interesting in that sense. A little annoying this isn’t on Spotify.

Dude, make some noise

Fine; first few tracks were stronger than the rest. Reminds me of Wilco, but more sad? 3 stars for sad Wilco!

(4/7) since this isn't on spotify I had to find it on youtube. every once in a while an ad would start playing, and I found that music generally more exciting than this album

Dejlig mørkt

⭐⭐⭐÷ Alternative country. Det här passar mig och med lite mer tid skulle jag nog kunna uppskatta det ännu mer. Bra tillbakalutad produktion. Lite för få spår som utmärker sig så det blir stark 3a. Bäst är A minor placerade, I see a darknes, Madelene-Mar

First song was very cool, and I got excited about a new discovery (I’d heard of Bonnie Prince Billy, but couldn’t say I was too familiar with the music). Music remained good, but got pretty sparse and mellow. I think this would could grow on me given the right introspective mood. Need more time with it to give it more than a 3 though.

There is an allure for late-nineties albums I haven't heard of before, that I cannot describe. This was a little disappointing, but not horrible, the vocals just irritated me at certain points.

Don't judge an album by it's cover. Really quite enjoyable, likely a grower, another one for the worth a second listen list.

Oh nee toch, ik zet dit eerste nummer aan en de beste man begint met zingen. En ik denk eigenlijk al meteen: Dit word he-le-maal niets... Dit is precies mijn irritatie zone qua muziek; van die lieflijke, nietszeggende, ongeinteresseerde folk muziek. Ik probeer het natuurlijk zo neutraal mogelijk te luisteren, maar het word al vrij snel duidelijk dat dit een ontzettend depressief album is. Maar dan wel een beetje performatief depressief. Niet "ik ben doodop en wil graag verder maar het lukt niet en dat frustreert me zo"-depressief. Nee nee, dit album is meer "God ik voel me vandaag niet zo lekker, waarom stopt de hele wereld niet en vraagt niet iedereen hoe ie me kan helpen!??!?!"-depressief... Ik ken deze artiest niet, maar ben er nu al van overtuigd dat dit een ontzettend vervelend zeikerig ventje is. Nee, dit is heel erg mijn antistijl qua muziek; folk waar eigenlijk alleen op gefluisterzongen mag worden. Begrijpen doe ik dit niet en het is muzikaal absoluut niet spannend genoeg om af te leiden. Dit is voor mij een ontzettend lange zit, en dat terwijl het album nog geen 40 minuten duurt. FAVO: Na afloop van dit album een bak ijs kopen en huilend voor de tv zitten.

Maybe one of the shittest things I've ever heard

Very moany and miserable. I guess the title should have given that away. Vulnerable but it's too droney for me.

I think on balance I didn't like it, and it's disappointing because some of the right elements are there. My main issue is his voice, which is a little whiny and not interesting enough to provide a contrast to the lo-fi nature of the music. With songer-songwriters, especially on the acoustic end of the spectrum, for me it's essential the vocals are an engaging instrument in their own right. That doesn't mean they need to be loud, just more assured and interesting than this. The whole thing faded to grey really.

Quite nice. Wasn't able to listen to it in as much detail as I probably needed to to really get it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this album. Quiet but moving.

not on spotify

5/10

I See A Darkness was a very rough listen. Not due to anything in the recording or awful performances/songwriting, but because it's just such a gloomy album. Perfect for a rainy day (like today), but my goodness did this one leave me feeling depressed. Overall, I did find it to be a good album with some great songs, but not sure how often I'll be revisiting this. Favorite Track: Madeleine -Mary

Það er náttúrulega óþolandi að þurfa hlusta á svona plötu á Youtube ef maður tímir ekki að kaupa þar áskrift (ofan á allt annað), en þessi er samt andskoti fín í öllu sínu lo-fi. Þekkti nafnið en hlustaði ekki í gamla daga, en kann að meta í dag.

Kinda liked it didn’t love it tho

Guy needs to cheer up!

Two stars…

I kinda dig this.

Not horrible background music but not something that really spoke to me. A bit slow and sappy.

1.5 - Kinda boring

Brooding mess that eventually draws you in and begins to make sense. I'm just not sure it makes enough sense to listen any further.

I didn’t go into this with high expectations, but it’s 3 days before Halloween and the vibes of this album were perfect. This album is like the embrace of a cool Fall day. There’s a darkness to the sound, but a comfort there as well. This list has mostly just shown me that I like dark-sounding, folk inspired music. Good stuff.

Incredibly dull and boring

Musically quite nice, but his vocals almost mess it up for me. favourite: "Madeleine-Mary", "Today I Was an Evil One", "Black" 1,5

It meanders a bit at the start but it hits its stride with I See A Darkness and then is pretty strong to the finish. It is definitely not for everyone, and you have to be in the right mood for it, but it is a solid album. I expect there won’t be any more BPB on here, but Strange Form of Life from the album The Letting Go is an absolutely sensational song.

This won’t be everyone’s cup of tea for sure - the vocals are shaky and instruments for the most part are quite sparse but I always find this a great listen when I do. The title track is obviously the likely standout from the album but I’m also really fond of ‘death to everyone’ as a centre point to it. I’m not sure specifically what I like about it that lets me overlook some of the other things I’d grumble about in relation to other artists - possibly the earnestness with which it is delivered, along with it sounding almost fragile at the same time; like it could just be blown over by the wind if it blew too hard. Compare it to the version of ‘I see a darkness’ he recorded for ‘now here’s my plan’ and it doesn’t touch the sides of this one.

God. More Leonard Cohen stans making music. I’m all for a sparse singer songwriter record, but Jesus. This singer really bores me. How the fuck do you have an album under 40 minutes and it be a drag? It starts picking up after “death to everyone” for me. Madeline Mary is actually right up my alley. Then it comes back down to reality within 3 tracks. I see the vision, this record just wasn’t for me.

Not my thing I like some songs and I get the appeal but the slow and sad drone isn’t for me I barley like radio head this is just adjacent

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I, surprisingly, liked this. I think "surprisingly" because that's a really dumb name.

I generally HATE this type of music. It's sparse and slow, melancholy yet melodious. The vast majority of this genre comes off performative and disingenuous. This is not that. Here there is an authentic emotional weight that you can feel, and that alone seems to be all it takes to reel me in to a style of music I'd normally disregard before the first track was finished.

Started really strong for me but very quickly felt bland. Very Neutral Milk Hotel type sound Favorite song: A Minor Place

This was short, dark, and pretty bleak from the start. It took me a little while to get into because the first few songs move at such a slow pace, but “Death to Everyone” was really good and gave the album a little more life. This feels like an album you probably get a lot more out of when you’re already all in your feelings about something. The sparse music and his worn-down voice fit that mood really well, but if you’re not there mentally I could see it being a tough listen. “Black” and “Raining in Darling” were both solid ways to close it out, though.

Слухав лише альбоми 20-х років і не можу сказати, що вони музично були моїми. Забагато кантрі. Тут все-таки фолк є домінантним (в різних його варіаціях). Альбом одночасно сумний та світлий, такі тендітні виконання.

Культовий альбом, культовий виконавець. Памʼятаю як я досить довго шукав де б послухати, бо на стрімінгах не було. Тут звісно є сильні пісні, але скільки я не намагався слухати дискографію Бонні Прінца Біллі, я так і не знайшов альбома, який би повністю мені сподобався. Цей підійшов найближче напевно, десь на 3.5. Округлю до 4х тут.

The singer doesn't have the strongest voice, but it works really well for this music. Despite how down it is, I generally liked it.

hmm dark - don't really know 2 - 4?

I've listened to a couple of Bonnie Prince Billy albums before, but not really gotten into him. Maybe I didn't listen closely enough. These are melodies that whisper, instead of shout, and delicate, personal lyrics that deserve attention. Really enjoyed it, and I might revisit some of his other work.

Beautifully honest album. Very well written, and the sparseness and quietness of the album fit the theme perfectly. Tried giving this a listen the first time I came across it a while back and bounced off it, not because it was bad, but rather I just wasn’t in the mood for something so somber at the time. So glad to be given a reason to give it another go!

I absolutely loved this! This is right up my alley. Might honestly be a 5 if I gave it more time. Don't be surprised if I go back and give it a 5 hahah.

Nice discovery. Thanks

Really weird in places Not what was i was expecting but it really grew on me as I listened.

Couldn't even find this album on Spotify. Had to go to Youtube for it. It was good and short, and it has the song that Johnny Cash covered.

This went by so fast I barely got a read on it, but I do remember I See A Darkness from when it was first released. I also--ironically--enjoyed Death to Everyone on this listen.

I like this

Difficult to listen to (not available on spotify) but a decent listen when I tracked it down on Amazon music. I'd never heard of it before but I enjoyed the the mix of folk/country/indie.

Intense, beautifully melancholic and very confessional type of music. It is very moving. Brilliant and painful.

Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s I See a Darkness falls into a very specific niche that I can only describe as gothic folk, or maybe just deeply melancholic folk for people who enjoy staring into the middle distance. I had absolutely no idea what I was getting into when I hit play, but this was unexpectedly enjoyable. It fit my somber mood perfectly while I sat in the office working this morning. I can see it now. It’s early 1999. I haven’t yet decided to move across the country, and the girl I’ve been pining after for the past two years has just told me she only wants to be friends. I’ve finished a closing shift at work, most of my buddies aren’t working that night, and I decide to have a few beers because I’m just not ready to go home yet. I’m sitting alone in a darkened bar, nursing my third Guinness, when Bonnie “Prince” Billy takes the stage. It’s just him, a stool, a microphone, and his guitar. He starts playing, and something in me gives way. Suddenly I’m trying to wipe away tears faster than they can fall, hoping nobody notices as they land in my pint of Irish stout. Eventually, the set ends. I sit there until most of the crowd has cleared out, order another pint, and start thinking that maybe—just maybe—a change of scenery might do me some good. That’s what this album feels like to me. Not necessarily sadness, but that particular kind of late-night melancholy where sadness, loneliness, nostalgia, and the faint possibility of starting over all seem to occupy the same bar stool.

If James Taylor had an emo son, this is what he'd produce. A very somber, emotional, and depressing album. It just creeps along from beginning to end and drags you down into its abyss. It was an OK listen, but not something I would want to listen to on purpose. If you're in a good mood today, you might want to delay a listen until that feeling has tapered off.

Across Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Palace and under his own name, Will Oldham's are consistently 4 star.

Latte music

This one really grabbed me. The mood was slightly undercut by adverts for Ocado on YouTube

It is alright I guess. Didn't excite me too much.

The album itself, I don't love. I listened to half yesterday, then today when it was time to start again I said to myself "I don't know if I can with this any more". But I searched to find more about Bonny Prince Billy, and found some other really beautiful songs by him. And then the second half of this I found more pleasing to listen to - it's like something unlocked for me. It's still not something I would put on often, but I'll for sure seek out some more of his music.

This album was really pretty incredible it’s a shame it has a sub 3 average I really like the sound of his voice and the instrumentation throughout They make for a sound that’s really similar to other 90s singer/songwriters such as Jeff Buckley or neutral milk hotel This album starts with a sort of pop sound but as it progresses it gets darker and has some really nice stuff such as with black I can’t believe this album has such a low score and I don’t really get all the 1 star reviews I can’t wait to keep listening to this album 4/5 Favorites: a minor place, black, death to everyone, madeleine mary

Moody album. At first listen it felt bit boring but after few spins on the background this one grew on me. Not quite sure about the 4/5, but 3/5 would be bit harsh

#502 / 1089 Heard before? ❌ Revisit? ❌ Couldn't hear the appalachian or celtic -style folk nyances, it's all bollocks to me. I know the name Bonnie "Prince" Billy, mostly from a mate who loves folk and all this shite I can't stand and our taste in music basically the opposite. Didn't know this was a pseudonum however. Yeah, I'm getting allergic to this country/folk stuff, enough so that I have physical reactions as all my hair stands up and I get shivers when the music starts. This wasn't as bad, but had to call it quits after few tracks. At the most 2/5

Amazing

I hear a darkness. Rather bleak, though there is some subtle beauty present.

Nimestä voi päätellä että pimeää ja osin surullistakin musiikkia on tarjolla. Oli oikein hyvä levy tähän hetkeen

Sigh. No.

So.... boring... zzz....

I thought based on the cover art that this would horrible but I liked it. I don't know anything about this group? or is it a single person? I don't know but it could have been worse.

4.2 I didn't think I would initially like this one. Didn't want to hear a sad-sack drone on for an hour. But there was something unique going on, even if the themes were a bit dark. The recording sounded really great; try to listen on a good system or headphones. I will have to check other releases from the artist

Difficult album to find! Had to listen with ads on YouTube. Good for him. I see he doesn’t have it on Spotify out of protest. Anyway, the album itself was okay. I thought the first and last tracks were my favorites with the rest bleeding together to me. Maybe I’ll need to revisit this one. Lots of artists I love and admire love this guy.

I haven't listened to this album in a really long time, and I don't think it's as good as I remember it being. I like several other Will Oldham albums significantly more than this, but the psychic power of early Pitchfork compels me to rate it at least 4/5.

Decent sadboi music

Never judge an album by its cover. I'm glad that I was able to track this down on Youtube. It's not a party album, but it is a meaningful one. It is dark and melancholic and quite beautiful

3.5/5

Title track and ‘Black’ are two of my very favourites, the rest of the album does not quite reach those heights for me but an easy 3.5

Will Oldham's most celebrated record has a devoted cult following for whom the off-pitch vocals and the sparse darkness are features rather than limitations — evidence of authenticity, emotional rawness, music made without commercial concern. That argument is real and worth acknowledging. It doesn't help when the out-of-tune vocals and the timing issues in the background harmonies are genuinely bothersome rather than charmingly rough — and that's a musically informed response, not a failure of listening. The deliberate imprecision that makes this record feel lived-in for its fans is the same quality that keeps it at arm's length for everyone else. A two honestly delivered, the record left unfinished for good reason.

Quite an unnerving album that makes you feel like something unsettling is about to happen Definitely a slower one for when you're in a bad mood, I didn't enjoy it and there were some weird lyrics

God damn, this is good. I feel like the best alt-country/Americana in styles like this is invariably crushingly dark and depressing, and boy howdy, does this album deliver in spades. Nothing but aching reminders of the darkness, pain, and ultimately death that await every human on the planet. Easily a 9/10.

Having to hunt down this sad album was not worth it. Sometimes these things are just not for everybody.

Good album dealing with some heavy, heavy stuff. Can't say it resonated much with me though. Standouts: I See A Darkness • Another Day Full Of Dread • Death To Everyone

I liked the rawness of the vocals and the fact that a lot of his backing vocals weren't exactly trying to match the primary vocal. I like the production. I didn't really care for the songs.

This had me going back and forth. I was prepared to write this off as some pretentious, overly erudite singer-songwriter music. Usually I bounce right off of the gothic Americana-style acoustic stuff. There were certainly some tracks that confirmed my prejudice (I found A Minor Place to be a bit grating, for example, which sounds a bit too much like the granddaddy of the righteously maligned Stomp Clap Hey music). The first half of the album also was a lot stronger than the latter half, which is a bummer. But there were also some genuinely devastating numbers on this project. Who am I kidding? The title track moved me to tears. There is so much going on in these thirty-seven minutes, many big swings and big misses but also some incredible, raw, emotionally honest music. For those of us who are still on the war profiteering platform, Bonnie Prince Billy is one of the brave souls that does not distribute his music there; the other streamers do have this one though. It can also be found on Bandcamp for about ten of your hard-earned dollars.

Strange and boring

Couldn’t find on Spotify so I gave up

Całkiem fajne. Nawet niespodziewanie bym powiedział. 4

I loved the beautiful darkness of this album. One of the things I really enjoyed was how it was dark but still soft. That gave it a more haunting quality. And I am just going to admit it “Death to Everyone” is practically my anthem.

Decent album. Very sad and dark which I like. Songs were too similar and the voices and harmonies were not to my preference. The indie emo vibe is wierd abd makes them different just not my cup of tea

Never heard of him before. Perfectly pleasant. Soft indie ballads, quite dark in places and definitely not music to play on a Friday night.

Pretty bleak and uninspiring, but something about this made me want to keep listening. Perhaps in the hope it would get more uplifting or perhaps the haunting nature kept me intrigued. Either way, I didn't get bored so it gets a more positive score from me.

Could not access

Really liked this.

Very deep and heartfelt, recording itself a bit scrappy. Think I might need to listen to Radiohead now to cheer myself up!

Very sparse, but lyrically very beautiful