"Sometimes I Wish I Were An Eagle"
(Drag City)
seven / ten
|
|
BILL CALLAHAN "Sometimes I Wish I Were An Eagle" (Drag City)
seven / ten |
Everyone is familiar with the old adage; you wait ages for a bus and then two turn up at the same time. The second album from Bill Callahan since he put his famed Smog moniker on the back burner and went out under his own name is a fine example of this.
Following hot on the heels of Bonnie 'Prince' Billie's Beware, a record where a famously grouchy songsmith revered by one and all decided to lighten up, Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle showcases a more sunny, and rarely seen, side to Bill Callahan.
Just like his old mate Oldham, Callahan has reached a point in his life where he's easing off the misery and exploring the joys that can be found in the world. Another key factor is his move away from ramshackle arrangements and recording techniques, which actually suits the material on this album.
Some die hard Smogites might crib about the ditching of depression, but on listening to the likes of 'My Friend' and 'Eid Ma Clack Shaw', it's clear that a breezier approach to his craft is suiting ol' Bill quite fine, thank you very much. Intense scrutiny of the lyrics on the record will no doubt throw up evidence of a still gloomy heart beating in Callahan's chest, but when a downbeat mood drives on a song of the calibre of 'All Thoughts Are Prey To Some Beast', it doesn't seem out of place amongst the more optimistic tunes elsewhere.
A desire to come out of the Smog and try his hand at something which would have been previously alien to him should stand Bill Callahan in good stead, if subsequent albums are of the quality of this one. Keep 'em coming.
Alan Morrissey
www.myspace.com/toomuchtolove
.....................................................................................................................................................................................................................