The pairing of Will Oldham and Emmett Kelly is not a new one. Kelly, as well as releasing music under the pseudonym The Cairo Gang, has been an active member of Oldham’s creative stable for a few years both on record and in his live band. Here, Kelly moves from his more background role into the spotlight as he provides the bulk of the music for this album much like Matt Sweeney’s contribution to Superwolf. Like that album, The Wonder Show of the World sits awkwardly next to Oldham’s other works; both belonging and standing apart at the same time.
Musically, this album unexpectedly sounds like a mix of the gentle guitar of The Cairo Gang’s Twyxt Wyrd LP and Oldham’s recent studio output. The instrumentation is mostly restricted to guitar, bass and percussion which allow for Oldham and Kelly’s vocal harmonies to have the space they need. "Teach Me to Bear You" revolves around an alluring electric guitar refrain; Oldham’s main vocal shadowed by Kelly’s ghostly voice which reverberates from some haunted room out back. To cap it off, a guitar solo that sounds like something Neil Young would throw into a CSNY song plays the piece out wonderfully.
There is a Latin-influenced streak running through The Wonder Show of the World, particularly the percussion and guitar flourishes on "The Sounds Are Always Begging" and "That’s What Our Love Is." Both songs again explore that '70s CSNY-style rock vibe alluded to earlier, although without the artistically crippling effect of large amounts of cocaine destroying the songs. Plus I cannot imagine a band like CSNY or The Eagles coming up with a (lyrical) line like "the smell of your box on my moustache." Even other modern bands that are exploring similar territory like Fleet Foxes or Bon Ivor lack that edge that Oldham brings to his lyrics.
The limited edition of the album also includes a 7" single with two songs not on the main album. Both songs fit with the mood of the main album and it is a pity that they were not included as part of The Wonder Show of the World (in fact, I would prefer them to a couple of the songs that did make it on to the main album). "Midday" recalls some of the lighter moods explored on Ease on Down the Road or Master and Everyone, a charming song centred on the joy of lovemaking throughout the daylight hours. The flip side of the single, both literally and figuratively, swaps the ecstasy for defeat. "You Win" is one of those classic Oldham songs, beautiful finger-picked guitar carrying the sombre vocals: "O darling I’ll yield and sing softly: you win."
Oldham tends to dominate anything he appears on, not ever sounding like it is an ego problem but more that his strong character shines brighter than all but the most luminescent talents. There are a number of songs here that could have been on Beware but the best ones are those where Kelly’s influence comes through strongest. These are the ones I will keep coming back to The Wonder Show of the World for, both artists equally radiant in their own creativity.
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