A lie in allows me forty five minutes with Prince Billy and his latest album The Purple Bird. He's an ornery critter. Very much his own man. He's created his whole alternative universe and now he's revelling in it. Not unlike Nick Cave.
By contrast with Cave though Billy seems to have made his way to the light. 'After the bright night comes day. Yellow and grey.' 'Love overcomes.' It's such a pleasure to be in such company
Over his career the man has made a crucial shift form The Blues to C & W. And although both genres are imbued with religious intensity. Battles with the beer and the darknight outside. Struggles with the soul and the cry of the demons. There's a constant sense of community here though. This a record of enormous communal warmth, One last hoedown around the campfire then we make for hearth and home arm in arm.
Prince Billy is sleeping with the dogs tonight. 'I'm all bark and she's all bite.' It's hokey as hell and unashamedly so. But the vein of humour is incredibly rich and so are the tunes. This has a glorious understanding of the ancient musical welI it draws upon,
This is a wonderfulm sentimental record to draw us into the day. Ultimately this is a record that draw you into the water and then drags you to the surface of the ;ake into the bright sunlight. Cleansed. Restored.
No comments:
Post a Comment