Joya (album)

Joya is the fifth studio album by American musician Will Oldham. It was released on Drag City in 1997 as the first album billed to his name, rather than the Palace or Bonnie "Prince" Billy monikers. It also features Bob Arellano, Colin Gagon, and David Pajo.

Joya
Studio album by Will Oldham
Released	October 27, 1997 (1997-10-27)
Genre	Alternative country indie rock
Length	40:29
Label	Drag City
Producer	Dan Koretzky Rian Murphy
Will Oldham chronology
Arise Therefore (1996) Joya (1997) I See a Darkness (1999)

In 2007, when the album became available for download through iTunes, the artist credit was changed to Bonnie "Prince" Billy, with altered artwork reflecting the change.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Entertainment Weekly	B+[2]
NME	7/10[3]
Uncut	9/10[4]
The Village Voice	C+[5]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic gave the album 4 out of 5 stars, saying, "it's a promising, ultimately unfulfilling record that doesn't quite prove whether Oldham is a songwriter of pretense or genuine talent."[1] Rob O'Connor of Entertainment Weekly gave the album a B+ grade, calling it "hypnotic and sublimely bizarre."[2]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Will Oldham.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"O Let It Be"	3:43
2.	"Antagonism"	5:18
3.	"New Gypsy"	3:13
4.	"Under What Was Oppression"	3:05
5.	"The Gator"	2:26
6.	"Open Your Heart"	3:27
7.	"Rider"	1:31
8.	"Be Still and Know God (Don't Be Shy)"	3:10
9.	"Apocolypse, No!"	3:44
10.	"I Am Still What I Meant to Be"	3:51
11.	"Bolden Boke Boy"	3:48
12.	"Idea and Deed"	3:13

Limited edition bonus disc: Little Joya

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Prologue"	1:35
2.	"Joya"	4:57
3.	"Exit Music (for a Dick)"	1:12

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.

• Bob Arellano – music
• Colin Gagon – music
• Will Oldham – music
• David Pajo – music
• Dan Koretzky – production
• Rian Murphy – production
• Chris Shepard – engineering
• Ubaldo Tirado – engineering
• Konrad Strauss – mastering
• Joe Oldham – photography
• Bryan Rich – photography
• Dan Osborn – layout

References

1. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Joya – Will Oldham". AllMusic. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
2. O'Connor, Rob (December 19, 1997). "Joya". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
3. Bailie, Stuart (October 25, 1997). "Will Oldham – Joya". NME. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
4. Young, Rob (July 9, 2012). "Bonnie 'Prince' Billy – reissues". Uncut. Archived from the original on July 11, 2015. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
5. Christgau, Robert (December 2, 1997). "Consumer Guide: Turkey Shoot". The Village Voice. Retrieved June 15, 2017.

External links

• Joya at Discogs (list of releases)