Bill Callahan:
Dream River:
Drag City:
Out 16th September:
9/10
As I'm listening to the Smog-man's latest soul-searching opus, the drizzle outside my window is becoming more dense, more precipitative and less welcoming by the second. Indoors, Bill Callahan's resonant baritone continues to tremble through the opening track on his first release for over two years and suddenly the weather's embittered attitude is irrelevant.
The thing is, Callahan's languid and complex mixture of jazzed-out country-soul works wonders no matter what the season. Treading a similar path to Lambchop's Kurt Wagner, Jamie T. Commons and Jonathan Jeremiah, the emotive troubadour sows lyrical seeds that touch on restlessness, travels, break-ups, heartaches, self-effacement and reflection, before growing into something of a musical event that borders on devotional and celebratory, rather than self-indulgence.
The opening 'The Sing' sports a natty couplet - "The only words I've said today are 'beer' and 'thank you'" is as torn-apart as a person can get, that time when hitting the bar is the only answer. The album's glorious centrepiece 'Ride My Arrow' not only carries an atmospheric narration, the music recalls Richie Havens in full flow and is possibly one of Callahan's most rewarding songs ever.
As for the rest of Dream River, you can expect a rich woven tapestry of all of the above Callahan trademarks, albeit with a slightly more stripped-back cadence than the preceding 'Apocalypse' album issued in 2011, speckled with pedal-steel, violins and the occasional effects-pedal, with only 'Summer Painter' lingering a little longer than perhaps it should - the rest are great bedfellows for a night spent with a long tall drink, kicked-off shoes and a temporary slip into daydreaming. Fabulous.
Dream River:
Drag City:
Out 16th September:
9/10
The thing is, Callahan's languid and complex mixture of jazzed-out country-soul works wonders no matter what the season. Treading a similar path to Lambchop's Kurt Wagner, Jamie T. Commons and Jonathan Jeremiah, the emotive troubadour sows lyrical seeds that touch on restlessness, travels, break-ups, heartaches, self-effacement and reflection, before growing into something of a musical event that borders on devotional and celebratory, rather than self-indulgence.
The opening 'The Sing' sports a natty couplet - "The only words I've said today are 'beer' and 'thank you'" is as torn-apart as a person can get, that time when hitting the bar is the only answer. The album's glorious centrepiece 'Ride My Arrow' not only carries an atmospheric narration, the music recalls Richie Havens in full flow and is possibly one of Callahan's most rewarding songs ever.
As for the rest of Dream River, you can expect a rich woven tapestry of all of the above Callahan trademarks, albeit with a slightly more stripped-back cadence than the preceding 'Apocalypse' album issued in 2011, speckled with pedal-steel, violins and the occasional effects-pedal, with only 'Summer Painter' lingering a little longer than perhaps it should - the rest are great bedfellows for a night spent with a long tall drink, kicked-off shoes and a temporary slip into daydreaming. Fabulous.