|
New & Current Releases
Archives: A-Z Index
Advanced Search
Upcoming Release Calendar
All-Time High (And Low) Scores
Best Of 2008
Best Of 2007
Best Of 2006
Best Of 2005
Best Of 2004
Best Of 2003
Best Of 2002
Best Of 2001
Best Of 2000
How Metascores Are Calculated
Discuss Music In Our Forums
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
|
The Letting Go
by Bonnie "Prince" Billy
Jim White and Paul Oldham are among the guests on prolific songwriter Will Oldham's latest Bonnie "Prince" Billy studio recording.
| LABEL: |
Drag City |
| RELEASE DATE: |
19 September 2006 |
| DISCS: |
1 disc |
| GENRE(S): |
Indie, Rock, Singer-Songwriter, Alt-Country |
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
100
The Onion (A.V. Club)
The pull of European cool against Oldham's usual rustic, heartfelt love poetry creates moments of sweet tension.
90
Paste Magazine
At last, Will Oldham as Bonnie 'Prince' Billy has given us a record of cryptic romanticism to complement the silver-rimmed bleakness of his 1999 masterpiece I See A Darkness. [Sep 2006, p.73]
90
All Music Guide
Truth to tell, since the quality of Oldham's songwriting has rarely wavered, the excellent arrangements and McCarthy's contributions make The Letting Go the best of his career to this point.
83
Entertainment Weekly
The effect is soothing, though it crosses the line into uncharacteristic blandness at times. [22 Sep 2006, p.94]
83
Stylus Magazine
It’s been years since he sounded this responsive and attentive.
82
Pitchfork
Unlike Oldham's best work, The Letting Go doesn't pull you into its own emotional world; it doesn't ask much, and you're free to take as much from it as you'd like.
80
Observer Music Monthly
The Letting Go's marvellously grandiose taster single, 'Cursed Sleep', suggested that this would be the album to finally reward our patience. And so it is, though not always in the way that might have been expected.
80
musicOMH.com
[An] understated but epic album.
80
Drowned In Sound
The heart of the album lies in the unparalleled excellence of Oldham’s songwriting – simple yet complex, understated and profound at the same time.
80
BBC collective
It’s a winning combination, with the Prince’s shambolic charm still intact but lent clarity by the new additions that make this infinitely preferable to previous efforts.
80
Billboard
Oldham's songwriting is top-notch as usual, his melancholy lyrics in perfect balance with the accompanying music.
80
Playlouder
A quite beautifully realised album.
80
Mojo
This album makes good on the promise of earlier benchmarks like Ease Down The Road and Master And Everyone. [Oct 2006, p.102]
80
NOW Magazine
The lineup addition of [singer Dawn] McCarthy proves to be a genius move; her vocals blend beautifully with Oldham's, and her soaring solo flights make a great recording exceptional.
80
cokemachineglow
It’s nowhere near as inviting as his previous works, even with the excellent production and introduction of strings. But give it a few weeks; it’ll grow.
80
Dot Music
Arguably up there with his greatest achievements to date, "The Letting Go" is business as usual for Oldham, but also a brand new start.
80
Uncut
The most immediately striking thing is the effect of the string arrangements, which add an extra layer of haunting mystery. [Oct 2006, p.102]
80
Prefix Magazine
The Letting Go benefits as much from diversity as from Valgeir Sigurosson's recording.
76
ShakingThrough.net
This promising notion of marrying the overly pensive, doomed-romantic Billy persona with orchestral-sized studio ambitions is a wash, the cumulative effect being undeniably gorgeous, in a rainy-day internalized apocalypse kind of way.
70
Q Magazine
For those prepared to dig in, it's another reliably rewarding listen. [Oct 2006, p.125]
70
Spin
The songs on The Letting Go that flirt with familiar forms... feel completely devoid of his pretentious tendencies. [Oct 2006, p.94]
70
Delusions of Adequacy
The Letting Go is arguably the most pretty and richly detailed record Oldham has released in years.
60
Dusted Magazine
It does contain some beautiful songs. Its deficiencies won’t miff his indulgent cult (at least not any more than they’ve been miffed previously). But it doesn’t quite hold together.
60
Under The Radar
Though it’s extremely well-crafted and features all his beloved attributes, it’s unlikely to win him many new fans. [#15]
The average user rating for this album is 8.4 (out of 10) based on 28 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Read more user comments...
Discuss this album in our forums |
|
