12. The Marble Downs (w / Trembling Bells) (2012)

If Lie Down in the Light is the album most representative of the qualities we associate with Will Oldham, then get ready for the opposite of that. On The Marble Downs, Oldham partners with the Scottish psychedelic rockers Trembling Bells for a big, lush, kitchen-sink epic that recalls the indie rock symphonies of Sufjan Stevens. Admittedly, it’s a little weird to hear Oldham sing over harpsichords and her majesty’s horn section. There are even time signature changes, which I’m pretty sure are outlawed in Appalachia.

Sure, some on the songs go on a bit long, collapsing under the weight of the band’s instrumental indulgences. But tracks like “I Made a Date (WIth an Open Vein)” and “Ain’t Nothing Wrong With a Little Longing” are among the catchiest things Oldham has ever been involved with. It makes me wonder about the career Oldham would have had if he’d grown up in Scotland, drinking whatever they put in the water that makes Belle and Sebastian and Frightened Rabbit write such infectious songs. All the while, Oldham sounds as comfortable on technicolor Scottish moors as he does in the Kentucky lowlands. If listeners are less comfortable with it, well, that’s their problem.