Splinters

Damn fine piece on Will Oldham, AKA Bonnie Prince Billy, in yesterday's Observer by Sean O'Hagen (who might or might not be the ex-Microdisney man). I'm always half-reluctant to read anything about my favourite living artist (a bold statement but one I can only just argue with). Evidently he feels the same about being the subject of such attention: "I do not want a personal relationship with my fans. They can have a personal relationship with my songs. That's fine, but they don't know me" he says. The problem with interviews is that they offer "the [false] idea that they can get to know me". However, reading this excellent piece took me further from the close relationship I had with his songs. Don't know why exactly. Not that I'm complaining though. It's great to get reacquainted.

Looking back, I now rate his last LP, Ease Down the Road, as the least enjoyable of his solo work. It wasn't a surprise when it was praised for its consistency and accessibility. The new LP, out next year, will be an interesting test. He says he dropped three songs from it because "when everyone I played them to liked them too much". What a guy.