Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – We Are Together Again Review

Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy returns to the studio soon after The Purple Bird, moved by the consequences of changing times. Any artist who believes politics should be left out of their work is a coward, that much is clearer now, more than ever. To sit on the fence during times of such clear horror the world over is an insincere act. We Are Together Again is an active, burning response to the calamity and fear that grip the heart when reading the news, when watching whatever new development there is in the multitude of nasty stories and troubling developments. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy has offered an antidote to those who believe their art does not need to say anything, merely infer. We Are Together Again is not an argument against those or their stance, though, it is merely a showcase of what community and commentary can offer. It’s a putdown of those too scared to comment, too won over by self-interested ideals, by showing what music can offer when liberated of such notions.  

Ten tender songs of Prince Billy at his best are what you get with We Are Together Again. His call for unity, as heard on a tremendously breezy but empowering opening track, Why is the Lion?, sets the scene. Delicate flute and acoustic work are the constants across this latest release from Prince Billy. What matters most is offering that delicate in, a familiarity which means the harsher tone, the tougher stance which Prince Billy delivers with these new writings, are all the stronger. They Keep Trying to Find You is a staggering effort from Will Oldham, whose prose is as important and tough as ever. In the calmness, we find contemplation, and when the message from Prince Billy is as thoroughly tough and clear as it is on Strange Trouble, it brings We Are Together Again to that next level. Nowhere is the message clearer than on Strange Trouble, a song which notes the terrifying unknown of change, but the necessity of it to grow as a person, to build those honest values.  

Just remarkable writing from Prince Billy, though that should be no surprise. Life is Scary Horses is a masterful moment, one where musing on change and acting appropriately to it takes centre stage. Instrumentally calming, lyrically sharp, it’s the contrast which matters most of all for We Are Together Again. Beyond the inherent commentary found throughout, there are lighter thrills from Prince Billy, too. Vietnam Sunshine is best experienced while the rays themselves are shining through a window of your own, as is the case for the lazy Monday morning that comes to pass on this first listen. It’s atmosphere that matters for many releases, but those too scared to comment on the shifting sands of politics cannot enjoy the vibrancy of those positive experiences either. It’s in this latter half that the mood shifts, the instrumentals sound that much lighter, Prince Billy’s writing reflects a more hopeful tone.  

Hey Little speaks to the future generation, one which may feel as though they don’t have a chance in present circumstances. But there’s hope still to instil, no matter how fleeting it may feel. Davey Dead is nothing short of beautiful, a complete understanding of how delicate this tone is, and how much of it is dependent on an openness between musician and listener. How can an artist deliver honest thought if they are not wholly open with their thoughts? Some will pull from other sources of interest, life experiences not moulded by modern times, but all the same, there must be a push for art to act as a vessel of modern-day commentary. Politics is an inherent part of that, and while Prince Billy does not address those troubles directly, it forms a solid base of his work here. Few are sharp enough to do so, though those who try must be applauded. If they get anywhere close to the sincerity of The Children are Sick, then they, too, can call themselves a success.