Will Oldham

Will Oldham's music almost always inspires what I call the "Jackson Pollack effect." So deceptively simple is his approach, so laid back and seemingly ramshackle is his execution, that upon hearing it, people can't help but say: "I could do that." Maybe, but you didn't, while Will Oldham has been doing so for nigh on a decade, in his various Palace incarnations, and lately under his own name. That's not to say Oldham is channelling some sort of rural, bluegrass deity for his visions - in fact, he can be a downright sloppy bore sometimes. The combination of prolific and inconsistent can make being an Oldham fan a maddening process, but Guarapero, a second collection of previously unheard tracks dating as far back as 1993, tips the scales on the good side. I'm a fan of Oldham's world-weary vocal approach, and it's welcome here after his last, instrumental piece of boredom, Ode Music. Guarapero is a yes for casual Oldham fans not dedicated enough to jump on everything he does.