I See A Darkness (studio album) by Bonnie 'Prince' Billy

this might be the most underrated on this site - deserves much more love

There is a lot of quality on display here and Will Oldham really demonstrates how good he is at creating a unique and interesting album. The record is a fantastic length with there being no real filler on here as every song plays its role. Even the slower songs still help to build this dark atmosphere which helps draw the listener into the record. He backs this up with a stellar vocal performance that commands each song and adds a raw and gritty edge to his performance. His lyrics are fantastic and some of the songs on here are just a joy to be able to explore. Instrumentally, it can feel a little empty at times but for the majority of the listen it is full of life and helps to create a tense and suspenseful environment for us. The peak of this record for me is on the title track, A Minor Place and Death To Everyone which demonstrate exactly what makes this artist so special and they also have the best lyrics on the album. Overall, this release might go under the radar for most but it really deserves a lot more praise as it is fantastic.

From dihansse 03/02/2021 20:39

One of those artists I truly respect especially for this album but nevertheless one which doesn't end up high in my album rankings and I can understand why: there are a lot of tracks which are not really highlights although they fit well on the album. But on the other hand there is of course that magnificent Black and also the title track.

From wooolf 09/19/2017 10:08

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From LedZep 08/13/2017 00:20

Cash's version of the title track introduced me to this masterpiece. Both Cash's version and the original are some of the best songs I've ever heard, and the whole album is devastating beauty

From CanadianGuy 03/21/2017 00:24

One of my friend introduced me to this album and I'll never be able to thank him enough.

From buzzdainer 08/29/2016 14:16

Like many not-so-savvy music listeners, I didn't become fully aware of Will Oldham's greatness as a songwriter until I heard Johnny Cash's devastating version of the title track from this album. That's partly because I had written off Oldham after being unimpressed with some of the deliberately out-of-tune cutesiness of his work with his various incarnations with "Palace" in the name (Palace, Palace Music, Palace Brothers, etc.). But this album is terrific. It still has some of the shaggy-dog earnestness of his earlier work, but with an added maturity and just plain better singing. The title track is desperately beautiful, of course, and so is the distortion-driven, seafaring dirge "Madeleine-Mary."

From MrBrown 06/22/2016 16:52

This is a pretty depressing album but it can also be really beautiful at points, although the middle of this album gets a bit slow. Minor Place is my favourite song.

A delicate album about depression, whispered by an inspired Will Oldahm.

Arresting, funny, immediate, and powerful songwriting.