Bonnie Prince Billy: The Wonder Show of the World

Entering his 40th year, Kentucky's reclusive lo-fi legend Will Oldham has recently shown signs of mellowing. There have been movie roles ( Old Joy and Wendy and Lucy ) and an upbeat live album ( Is It The Sea? ), though here "Bonnie" Bill again shows he's never happier than when blue. "Something's waiting in the night to grab you and throttle hope from your heart," goes a typical opening line. Fans love the bare, honest poet behind such words, and Oldham's musical touch here – acoustic with blasts of searing electric guitar – is unerring. His intensity forces our concentration, though, unlike Neil Young, he never extends empathy, only demands it. Tut.