Reissues Domino*****

These five records act as a distillation of Will Oldham's protean, searching talent. They span the 1990s, everything from folk to blues, and an eclectic array of musicians (members of Slint, Sean O'Hagan, Ned Oldham). What emerges is Oldham's exploratory creativity and the revelatory nature of true musicianship. From the banjo- heavy There Is No One What Will Take Care of You,the spindly vignettes on Days in the Wake, and the muscular, lush Viva Last Blues, there is something loose and earthy yet heaven-bound about this music. The real majesty is Oldham's voice. It crackles with despair and defiance on the compilation Lost Blues and Other Songsand the EP Hope, which is full of piano, guitar, William Carleton, and the fact that haunts him on Christmastime in the Mountains, and haunts us still: "Time is the enemy, time is the guide". dominorecordco.com

Download tracks: Long Before, You Will Miss Me When I Burn, New Partner, Agnes, Queen of Sorrow