|
By Dennis Cook
A pairing that most wouldn’t have predicted ends up sparking the least predictable work either Will Oldham (Bonnie 'Prince' Billy) or Tortoise has produced in some time. Where the general curve and taste of their separate states is known, perhaps even lovingly, the juxtaposition of these two highly charged disparate streams produces something more immediate and readily appealing than nearly anything in their pasts.
Recorded over several sessions in late 2005 and early 2005 in Chicago with Tortoise's knob-twirling wizard John McEntire producing, this collection of 10 wildly eclectic cover tunes reveals the collector-listener inside these musicians. Cherished tunes are held up in the light, turned over, and tested with healthy imagination. Tortoise calls them "super mutants of music," and it's a pretty good description. The echoes of what they've played before flit at the edges, but the center is closer to early Roxy Music or Patti Smith, a resounding yes powered by a Van Der Graaf Generator. It's a very winning mix of punk spirit and professional chops.
Things begin with a slapping beat as they dig into Milton Nascimento's "Cravo é Canela" with Oldham flowing convincingly in phonetic Portuguese. Musically it nods to post-Tropicalia Brazilian sounds as well as Tortoise's 2000 tour with Tom Ze. Things shift quickly from the polyrhythmic opener (though the thick percussion returns later) to a sincere reading of Bruce Springsteen's "Thunder Road" that sounds like Marah with Shuggie Otis sitting in, tweaked E-Street keyboards and unpasteurized electric guitars bolstering Oldham's late night alcohol croon.
Speaking of the Prince's voice, he stretches and massages a whole new spectrum from his pipes here. He shows a pleasant facility for space pop (a deliriously cheery take on Devo's "That's Pep!"), aching balladry (a molasses-paced, seasick dismantling of Elton John's "Daniel"), and finely drawn emo (Lungfish's "Love Is Love"). Around him the whole enterprise crackles like a downed power line, the walls heaving and breathing as they put their shoulders into it.
The two most flatly enjoyable covers are an inspired glammy spin on The Minutemen's "It's Expected I'm Gone" and a straight-but-true run at Richard Thompson's "Cavalry Cross." These tunes shimmer in a way that reminds us why we cherish the originals so much. Like much of this set, you can hear how much they enjoyed just playing songs they love with gifted collaborators that illuminate the music in exciting ways.
Drawing from what Oldham calls their "least common denominators," this is markedly different than anything either band has released to date. Neither Tortoise nor Will Oldham is renowned for being fun folk. They are largely thought of as serious artists. What The Brave And The Bold reveals is that serious guys can have a good time too.
JamBase | Worldwide
Go See Live Music
| 