Track Listing
1. Beware Your Only Friend
2. You Can't Hurt Me Now
3. My Life's Work
4. Death Final
5. Heart's Arms
6. You Don't Love Me
7. You Are Lost
8. I Won't Ask Again
9. I Don't Belong To Anyone
10. There is Something I Have To Say
11. I Am Goodbye
12. Without Work, You Have Nothing
13. Afraid Ain't Me
| Details | | Distributor: | Revolver USA Distribution | | Recording Type: | Studio | | Recording Mode: | Stereo | | SPAR Code: | n/a |
Album Notes
Personnel: Joshua Abrams (vocals, various instruments); Emmett Kelly (vocals, guitar, keyboard); Jennifer Hutt (vocals, violin); Michael Zerang (vocals, marimba, drums, percussion); Dee Alexander, Jon Langford (vocals); Greg Leiscz (pedal steel guitar, mandolin); Jim Becker (banjo); Nicole Mitchell (flute); Robert Cruz (accordion); Dv Devincentis (saxophone); Rob Mazurek (cornet); Azita Youssefi (piano, synthesizer); Leroy Bach (organ).
Singer-songwriter Will Oldham's seventh album under the name Bonnie "Prince" Billy (not counting collaborations with Tortoise, Matt Sweeney, and Dawn McCarthy, nor live albums or the rarities compilation LITTLE LOST BLUES), BEWARE is of a piece with Oldham's previous works, but it also feels like the culmination of a sound he has been slowly inching towards since rechristening himself Bonnie "Prince" Billy with 1999's I SEE A DARKNESS. Musically, the album is rooted in country and folk-rock, but Oldham's records have rarely had such depth to their arrangements before. The centerpiece track "You Are Lost" is built on pedal steel, fiddles,and other accoutrements of rootsy Americana, but moves slowly from a staid, martial opening to a gorgeous, epic rush of instruments and voices. Nearly every song has the word "I" or "You" in its title, and Oldham's lyrics are similarly direct, leaving aside his earlier fascinations with folklore and metaphor in favor of his most unvarnished and personal songs. BEWARE has the feel of a major achievement, and is arguably Will Oldham's finest work.
Editorial Reviews
Oldham remains mostly untroubled on BEWARE, accompanied by an array of instruments -- marimba, cornet, banjo, and flute swirl around placid country-tinged ruminations...
Spin
'There Is Something I Have To Say' swells in that listless ennui he favored in a past life, while 'Afraid Ain't Me' -- with it gypsy punch -- adds flute and violin with an ear toward DESIRE-era Dylan.
Paste
3 stars out of 5 -- [With] more muscular instrumentation....'There Is Something I Have To Say' and 'Without Work You Have Nothing' testify to Oldham's metaphysical powers.
Q
5 stars out of 5 -- BEWARE is yet another collection of songs veering from the poignant to the amusing, with heartbreaking, filthy ruminations upon the turbulence of relationships.
Record Collector
There is an air of flamboyance surrounding this record, and it is this evocation of grandeur that ensures that these essentially personal anecdotes are give the life and breathing space they deserve.
Clash
BEWARE is studded with warm country rambles and folky, fiddle-tinged laments. -- Grade: B+
Entertainment Weekly
Oldham seems more inclined than ever to instruct and guide, a move befitting his age, experience and the role he plays in the indie-rock community.
Pitchfork
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