Arise Therefore
Will Oldham, the guitarist-singer-songwriter behind Palace Music and its various incarnations (Palace Brothers, Palace Songs, and plain Palace), is not a rocker by any stretch of the imagination, nor even a particularly good musician. But despite (or perhaps, because of) his limitations, he manages to make disarmingly unique and effective recordings. Palace music, whether buffeted by the slide guitar and banjo of the 1993 debutThere Is No One What Will Take Care Of Youor framed by the piano figures and low-tech Maya Tone drum machine heard onArise Therefore, always sounds as if it teeters on the edge of oblivion, one whimper away from breaking down and one languid, creaky note from crumbling completely.While Oldham's hiccuppy blues tendencies have led critics to brand his Palace music somehow Appalachian, the Louisville-based former actor probably doesn't know enough about song forms to imitate them effectively. But his strained voice and low-fi folk approach to what's essentially indie rock do create the illusion that he's fronting a rustic mountain jug band. Still, Oldham's delicate poetry reveals lyrical sophistication. You know there's something a little more postmodern going on.--Roni Sarig