Matthew Hayhurst

Must Be Blind

Originally Published on May 21, 2011 on Sunset in the Rearview

Must Be Blind revisits the hallowed ground left by 2005′s Superwolf, the stunning collaboration by Will Oldham’s alter ego Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy and guitarist Matt Sweeney. As with their prior feat, this partnership produces a bountiful harvest of eloquent verse and acute instrumentation. The A-side recalls the most refined of Palace material; a crooning compassion set to subtle composition. If you enjoyed Oldham’s new interpretations on  Greatest Place Music, you’ll find “Must Be Blind” cut from the same cloth. 

While Oldham carries the lead on both tracks, the real gem is the Sweeney penned B-side,“Life in Muscle.” A poetic musing of life, death, and creation. A Genesis metaphor set to flourishing arrangements, riddled with overlooked delicacies; it builds, peaks, and gives way to a fading pulse. From the warm distortion that opens the collection, to the exhaling strings that close it, the Must Be Blind EP is very much alive and comes highly recommended.