Bonnie 'Prince' Billy & The Cairo Gang

Will Oldham might inhabit a singular space in contemporary folk music, but his openness to collaborate with different musicians continues to yield fascinating work like The Wonder Show of the World. In truth, the lion's share of the guitar-led music here comes from frequent Bonny Billy collaborator Emmett Kelly, who spearheads the Cairo Gang. From a production standpoint, some of Oldham's recent work has followed a pattern: unconventional instrumentation augments his acoustic guitar in subtle layers, leaving plenty of room for his voice to deliver thoughtfully meditative lyrics. On that front, Wonder Show is familiar, but often choruses and hooks arrive more deliberately. For all the ache of "Troublesome Houses" and "That's What Our Love Is," there are quietly mindful ruminations like "Go Folks, Go" and "Kids" that mark The Wonder Show as a pivotal record in the trajectory of Bonnie 'Prince' Billy.