Even among his many hushed recordings over the years, “Time To Be Clear” stands out as one of Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s more subdued cuts. Now the Wolfroy Goes to Town single has an official video, and if an animated Will Oldham-inspired rabbit sounds like writer/artists Mike Ayers, Dustin Glick, and Nicklaus Deyring found levity in the tune, think again. Check out their downcast take (and stay tuned for Angel Olsen‘s show-stopping lament around the 2-minute mark) above.
Meanwhile, Oldham gives us a rare glimpse into his unpredictable mind with a new essay for Poetry Magazine. Titled “To Hell with Drawers,” the piece draws some interesting distinctions between lyrics and poetry — complete with the following bit of classic Oldham language:
My mind isn’t a sponge, it’s a parasitic death-starry glob that is big and wet and angry much of the time, feeding on itself and allowing only the choicest and most-vulnerable bits in when its blood sugar gets low. It longs for a projectile to penetrate and obliterate its oneness, and let the stockpile plenish billions.
The article is published online here.