Will Oldham stood out from his '90s indie-rock peers by embracing the down-home simplicity of country icons like George Jones and frank storytelling of roots raconteurs like Townes Van Zandt—though occasionally an unsettled energy (inherited from art-punk eccentrics the Minutemen) would come to the fore. As his sepia-toned sound expanded, Oldham began to show a growing affinity for Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan's more polished '70s and '80s work.