Matt Sweeney and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – Must Be Blind/Life In Muscle

Picking up where 2005’s Superwolf album and I Gave You EP left off, Must Be Blind sees laconic folk champion Will Oldham reunited with erstwhile bandmate and song writing partner Matt Sweeney, the jobbing guitarist who has wielded his plectrum for a cast of characters including Cat Power and Billy Corgan in the ill-fated Zwan project.

From the warm distortion of Must Be Blind’s first riff, and the tremulous percussion, this isn’t new sonic ground for the duo but it's as touching a return as followers can hope for, with a lyrical refrain distinct enough to draw most weary souls in to rest their heads. “My guide she’s been run through so many times/ I must be blind.” The flipside – Life in Muscle – isn’t of quite the same quality, but it’s a solid enough effort in itself. [PJ Meiklem]