Brave & The Bold

Editor's Info:
Two of indie rock's most consistently intriguing innovators, avant troubadour Will Oldham and postrock fusion pioneers Tortoise, team up for this unusual batch of cover versions. The song choices--and their transformative interpretations--are fascinating, whether on the wistful, minor-key take on Bruce Springsteen's "Thunder Road," the sludgeadelic revamping of the Minutemen's "It's Expected I'm Gone," or the distorted electronic pulse of Elton John's "Daniel." Interestingly, both artists are true to their sound, but blend perfectly, Oldham's strained, mournful singing emerging from Tortoise's thick sonic textures. The mood here, even on uptempo numbers [like the muffled jam on Devo's "That's Pep!"], is reflective and wistful, making for an album that is at once intimate and musically inventive.

Rolling Stone [p.68] - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[T]he combined powers of Bonnie 'Prince' Billy and Tortoise can add a spacey sort of malaise to absolutely anything..."

Entertainment Weekly [p.85] - "[T]he pair infuse all their interpretations with an aura of foreboding, especially on 'Daniel,' which turns Elton's bittersweet, sun-kissed song into a beautifully eerie, creeping ballad."

Mojo [p.131] - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[M]ore than a curiosity....[With] many moments of complex, haunting, beauty -- nuanced as opposed to ear-battering, techno-symphonic cleverness."

Uncut [p.76] - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[A] fine album that shows two of the independent sector's most intriguing artists coming up with further surprises."

The Wire [p.67] - "The chemistry between Oldham and the group is evident from the off....There's such a feel of fresh invention about this set that soon one is compiling one's own fantasy covers album for these guys to tackle..."