Timesbold - Woe Be Gone
(Zeal)
Whip has undergone a name change. No longer releasing records under his own moniker, he has made his collaboration with other folks official by giving the group its own name: Timesbold.
The obvious reference point for the music of Timesbold is Will Oldham. And, while on this EP they retain that style, I hear a stronger hint of R.E.M.'s Automatic for the People. Partly vocally, partly lyrically, and a good deal musically, it straddles the line separating Lost Blues and Automatic for the People.
Melancholy sing-a-longs abound here, from the stirring opener, "Gin I Win," to the hopeless "This Field Needs a Reaper" to the final (and easily most Will Oldham-esque) track, "I Hear You Hear." The instruments on Woe Be Gone are largely acoustic. Drums, flutes, shakers, violin, upright bass, piano, electric guitar, organ, cello, harpsichord, and mandolin all creep into the mix, accenting the songs with a variety of different sounds.
Combined with the stellar songwriting, the end result is a (far too short) collection of haunting, depressing ballads. The likes of which so few have been able to achieve (see Palace's Hope EP).
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