Restless soul
Will Oldham folds his name in on itself again, issuing the
Superwolf single "I Gave You" under the simplified moniker "Bonnie/Sweeney". But everyone knows who's behind it, and he and
Matt Sweeney's work on the three non-album tracks captivates and lulls, just as it does on their full-length. An electric guitar resonates moodily in "My Circle," the notes matching the rise and fall of the harmonies, and stabs of piano drive the point home. Meanwhile "Four Screams" seems to marinate in lost love, and maybe something darker. But as on
Superwolf,
Oldham and
Sweeney attach enough melody to make it quietly hopeful. The tender, genre-reversed "Birch Ballad" closes out the disc, and you can taste the snowflakes on your tongue.
I Gave You satisfies like a great collection of short stories. And it even includes a video for the title track.