Matt Sweeney & Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Superwolf

This record, SUPERWOLF is credited to Matt Sweeney and Bonnie "Price" Billy. Bonnie challenged Matt to write music to a series of song lyrics and this collaboration was done over some months, and included live shows in London, New Orleans, Brooklyn and Baltimore. The two retired to Paul Oldham's Rove Studios to lay the songs down. They enlisted the help of drummer Peter Townsend, and vocalist Sue Schofield dropped in a brief cameo.

When word spread through indie gossip sites that Bonnie Prince Billy AKA Will Oldham AKA Palace was set to team with Matt Sweeney of Chavez, Zwan and Man ‘Zine fame, unless you were a dedicated fan of elaborate facial hair, it seemed hard to be very intrigued. But the Superwolf collaboration between the two is frayed, fuzzy and undeniably excellent. It’s hard not to get hooked from the first song, which declares "I am under your spell/ And you will have me I reckon," a near six-minute epic that goes from moody sparse organ bit to absolutely choogling guitar part, the words shouted like some Southern anthem or ancient sea shanty until it ends with an elongated coda that sounds a lot like a Jerry Garcia solo album. It sounds a bit like Neil Young ca. Tonight’s the Night covering British folk singer Nic Jones’ Penguin Eggs album. Sweeney and Oldham play most of the instruments and though the vocals are mostly by Oldham, they do harmonize well. It’s remarkable how Oldham continues to reinvent and reinvigorate his mystic mountain man persona The truly surprising thing is that the rest of the album is just as ridiculously good. -Mike McGonigal