Critiques CD: Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy & The Cairo Gang | The Wonder Show of The World

Ole’ Will Oldham continues his crafty game of guess and seek and musical re-imagination, in the form here of a first-time collaboration with The Cairo Gang – the other-side-of-the-tracks project led by six-stringer for hire Emmett Kelly. The Wonder Show… is one of those discs best ingested late at night for full effect; a dark album of country-rock and pop weepers meets folkie downers, replete with yearning lead and backup vocals, raw and honest guitar licks, and the odd ray of hope that shines through. Thankfully, Oldham has made it a career choice of keeping things fresh for us, and more importantly himself as well.