Bonnie Prince Billy - Because Of Your Eyes/ I'll See You Again

I could swear we get a new Will Oldham record every week. He's going through a real purple patch at the moment I guess. Sometimes I feel he can lose focus a little bit and things can be a bit more-of-the-same, but the past couple of 10"s have both really pushed the right buttons for me and on this stunning 7" right here he's covering a Merle Haggard song and a Roy Harper song. There's only 50 copies in the UK apparently, so if you don't get it from us then good luck finding it elsewhere! On the A side we've got his take on 'Because of Your Eyes' by Merle Haggard. The first thing you notice on this recording is how lush the arrangements are. He's got a whole host of collaborators working with him here, including Paz Lenchantin, and it's all very tastefully done. Like Red Red Meat or that Kort band that Kurt Wagner's doing now. On the flip, Harper's 'I'll See You Again' is rendered as a drawn-out ballad (this side's on 33rpm) with sweeping strings and gorgeous female backing vocals. Both tracks are instant classics, really. Best covers he's done since that awesome 'Puff the Magic Dragon' 7" he put out a while back. Pound for pound this could be the best Bonnie 'Prince' Billy offering in years. Don't miss out.