Superwolf
When word spread through indie gossip sites thatBonnie Prince BillyAKA Will Oldham AKAPalacewas set to team with Matt Sweeney ofChavez,ZwanandMan ‘Zinefame, unless you were a dedicated fan of elaborate facial hair, it seemed hard to be very intrigued. But the Superwolf collaboration between the two is frayed, fuzzy and undeniably excellent. It’s hard not to get hooked from the first song, which declares "I am under your spell/ And you will have me I reckon," a near six-minute epic that goes from moody sparse organ bit to absolutely choogling guitar part, the words shouted like some Southern anthem or ancient sea shanty until it ends with an elongated coda that sounds a lot like aJerry Garciasolo album. It sounds a bit likeNeil Youngca.Tonight’s the Nightcovering British folk singerNic Jones’Penguin Eggsalbum. Sweeney and Oldham play most of the instruments and though the vocals are mostly by Oldham, they do harmonize well. It’s remarkable how Oldham continues to reinvent and reinvigorate his mystic mountain man persona The truly surprising thing is that the rest of the album is just as ridiculously good.--Mike McGonigal