The Letting Go (CD)
There are guitars, and strings. Amid the swell of sound and anticipation, there is a voice singing along, playing a part. More swells. The Bonnie 'Prince' intones. The Letting Go is an overwhelming undertaking. As mentioned, there are strings - lovely charts that do so much more than just trace chord changes up and down the neck. Arrangements by Ryder McNair and Nico Mulhy are threaded through the record, augmenting a simple quintet of players to provide a sixth sense. The deceptive nature of his band is on display from the top. The Letting Go songs and takes are garlanded by the honest efforts of all these people in an honest effort - as said above, a shared experience, to be shared with you. Antidote and inspiration to life, love, loneliness are sought; laughter is desired. After all this, a set of songs that are lovely and take their turn as a favorite; every day, another one.
| Tracklisting | |
| Disk | 1 | |
| 1 | Love Comes To Me |
| 2 | Strange Form Of Life |
| 3 | Wai |
| 4 | Cursed Sleep |
| 5 | No Bad News |
| 6 | Cold & Wet |
| 7 | Big Friday |
| 8 | Lay And Love |
| 9 | The Seedling |
| 10 | Then The Letting Go |
| 11 | God's Small Song |
| 12 | I Called You Back |
| 13 | Bonus Track |
| Eddie Turner
- Atlanta, GA, United States |
| Each Will Oldham release offers one or two amazing songs that wind up on playlists and mixtapes for years; there's also a handful of good ones and another handful of clunkers. He's never been as consistent as labelmate Smog, and this album maintains his hit-or-miss rhythm. "No Bad News" is the standout, somehow being the most delicate and mysterious song on the album while also providing a punch in the stomach. (But isn't quiet power the Drag City hallmark?) "I Called You Back" and "Lay and Love" could be repurposed as Phil Collins duets for some future movie starring Richard Gere and Diane Lane, but they're actually really good songs. Really! They're that type of love song that rumbles on in the background for a long time, and you can enjoy it whether you're paying attention or not. Backup vocals by Dawn the Faun give these songs life they wouldn't otherwise have--the album is worth a listen. | |