Bill Callahan

Bill Callahan

Woke On A Whaleheart

[3.5/5] Even a cursory trip through the (Smog) catalog shows that Bill Callahan has seen some shit. But while that psychic weight often hung heavy on (Smog), Woke On A Whaleheart brings an appealingly clean and straightforward directness, as if he doesn’t need to hide anymore. His near-naked speak-singing waxes poetic like a Beat tour guide, while the sounds of Americana provide a nostalgic jolt without stooping to cliché. Callahan’s dark baritone, rich with observational languor, echoes classic wordsmiths like Leonard Cohen and Lee Hazlewood while retaining the micro-operatic immediacy that’s been his career trademark, as seen in the lilting lullaby “Sycamore” and the offhand storytelling charm of “The Wheel.” Bill Callahan’s second time around is the sound of an artist refreshed and renewed, each clean breath clearing the bygone smog from his lungs. (DRAG CITY) Erick Haight

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