2019-07-01_Uncut_UK

20 • UNCUT • jULY 2019

lessexpansive-soundingworkthan

itsimmediatepredecessors,2011’s

AmericanapologiaApocalypse

andthehumidDreamRiver.

Thoserecordswerecavernous,

echoladen;thisoneis decidedly

smallscale.Callahantookthe

opportunitytooverdublotsoftiny

detailsontothesesongs– plinky-

plonkthumbpianos,NewAge

keyboards,ghostlywashesoflap

steel– butdespitea substantial

supportingcast,inthemainit is

justhimandhisguitar.Thatsense

ofreturningtosomethingsimpler

is evidentfromthestart;opener

“Shepherd’sWelcome”beginswith

thetell-taletapehissofSmog’svery

first,straight-to-C60recordings

fromtheearly1990s.“It’sbeensuch

a longtime,whydon’tyoucome

onin,” Callahansings,nervously

usheringina formerself.

Contentmenthasseeminglyleft

Callahanwonderingwhyhespent

solongbeingunhappy.“Thepast

nevergavemeanythingbutthe

blues,” hesingson“YoungIcarus”,while

hepokesa screwdriverintosomemore

ofhisdamaged20-somethingwiringon

theimpish“TheBalladOfTheHulk”,

questioningwhyhebottleduphisfeelings

forsolong.It’sa themehereturnstoon

theprimary-coloured“TugboatsAnd

Tumbleweeds”,a compendiumoffatherly

advicetohisyoungsonwhichCallahan

toldUncutwasalsoaddressedto“baby

Bill”.Havefun,herecommends,butknow

yourself,and– asheexplainsina glorious

tumblingversethatmaybea veiled

apologytopastromanticpartners– “Don’t

letyourselfgetsobluethatyoumakerash

decisionsfortwo/Elseyou’llharmyourself

andanotherwhomistookyoufora guide.”

ThedeathofCallahan’smother

promptedfurtherreflections.Hissongs

havelonghintedata complicated

relationshipwithhisparents;thecruel

fatherwhodasheshisson’sdreams

in1995’s“Bathysphere”,theexploded

nuclearfamilydepictedon1997’s

“RedAppleFalls”,thecoldcomforters

of 2005’s “Rock Bottom Riser”. His

other passing learl informsthe

cosmicarrivalsanddeparturesofairy

fantasia“747”andhissonorousversion

ofthetraditional“LonesomeValley”,

aswellastheominous“WhenWeLetGo”.

Thequiet,tender“Circles”,meanwhile,

isa suitablyrestrainedfarewelltoa

parentwho,asCallahansuggested

toUncut, mightnothavewelcomed

anythingmoreshowy.

However,if thereis direct

communicationonShepherdInA

SheepskinVest, thereis plentyof

mystifyingbabble,too,4amscratchings

fromCallahan’sdreamdiary.A Jungian

analystmightbemoreusefulthana lyric

sheetindeciphering“TheBlackDogOn

TheBeach”,withtranscendentalhoe-

down“WatchMeGetMarried”anything

buta peeratCallahan’sweddingsnaps.

Theangry“Released”andthegloomy

“Camels”,meanwhile,areunwieldy

meldingsofpoliticsandphilosophythat

seembettersuitedtotheoutsiderartof

Callahan’sSmogyearsthanhismore

professorial, Nick Cave-ish 2010s metier.

Qualitycontrol,though,doesn’t

seemlikeCallahan’smainpriority;

havingfeltatonestagethat

fatherhoodwastheendofhimas

a writer(“Givingbirthnearlykilled

me,” hehalf-jokeson“SonOfThe

Sea”),thereis a sense– especially

onthepretty“Writing”andthe

ugbandchugof“CallMeAnything”

• thatheis justdelightedthathe
  is a functioningartistagain.Asa
  result,ShepherdInA SheepskinVest
  feelslikea looselycuratedsplurge,
  artreflectingthemessyrealitiesof
  hisnewlife.
  However,forallofitscosmic
  positivity,andCallahan’snewfound
  senseofconnectedness,it ends
  ona veryunsettlingnote.Closer
  “TheBeast”crawlsfromthelightof
  boundlesslovetowardanominous
  darkness.A disembowelled
  approximationof“GoodMorning,
  Captain”– theapocalypticclosing
  trackonSlint’spost-rockmonolith
  Spiderland– itsgushingopening
  statement(“Skychangethesea,love
  changedme”) giveswaytosomething
  altogethermoretroubling.
  Fromtheuplandsofhappiness,
  Callahanseesthegravestonesinthe
  valleybelow“lookliketeeth”; a shapeless,
  unnamedbeastsleepsathisfeet,but
  somedaymustwake.Hisvoicetakes
  anominousturninthefinalmoments;
  alwaysrestrained,controlled,suddenly
  somethingis shifting.Thereis halfan
  animalgrowlsomewherewithinas
  heintonestherecord’sfinalwerewolf
  mantra:“Releasebeast,releasebeast,
  releasebeast.”
  If Callahanhasbeendomesticated,
  thatuntamedforcestilllurkswithinhim.
  Partsofhissoulhaveopeneduptothe
  universeonShepherdInA SheepskinVest,
  butplentyofareasremaincordonedoff,
  unknowable.Thissprawling,beguiling
  collectionstrivestorevealall,butevery
  answerbringsmorequestions.Oneway
  oranother,hischillymysterypersists;as
  Callahanputsit himselfon“WhatComes
  AfterCertainty”:“Though plain to see still
  hard to read.”

SLEEVENOTES

1 Shepherd’s

Welcome

2 BlackDogOn

TheBeach

3 Angela

4 TheBallad

OfTheHulk

5 Writing

6 MorningIs My

Godmother

7747

8 WatchMeGet

Married

9 YoungIcarus

10 Released

11 WhatComes

AfterCertainty

12 Confederate

Jasmine

13 CallMeAnything

14 SonOfTheSea

15 Camels

16 Circles

17 WhenWeLetGo

18 LonesomeValley

19 TugboatsAnd

Tumbleweeds

20 TheBeast

Recordedandmixed

by:BrianBeattie

Recordedat:

WonderChamber,

Austin,Texas

Personnel:Bill

Callahan(vocal,gtr,

harm,kalimba,keys,

perc,bowedpsaltery

andbanjo),Brian

Beattie(bass,perc,

keys,marimbola),

MattKinsey(gtr,

perc),AdamJones,

DonyWynn(drums),

GaryNewcombe

(lapsteel),Hanly

BanksCallahan,

Tori Olds (bkvocals)

SMOG

WildLove

CITYSLANG, 1995

TheveryearliestSmog

albumscanbehardgoing,

Callahan’sbarbedhumour,

primitiveinstrumentationandself-annihilating

misanthropynotreallyfindingtheirtargetuntil

this,hisfourthfull-lengthouting.“Bathysphere”

makesoddlylightofa desiretoblotoutthe

universe,“BathroomFloor”and“BeHit”are

grotesqueminiatures,while“PrinceAloneIn

The Studio” isn’t half as funny as it sounds.9/10

SMOG

Supper

DOMINO, 2003

Mid-periodSmogrecords

likeRedAppleFalls(1997)

andKnockKnock(1999)

establishedCallahan’sreputation,buthis

(moderately)romantic10thalbumgets

unjustlyoverlooked.“FeatherByFeather”,

“OurAnniversary”and“VesselIn Vain”are

allfuzzy-edgedfavourites,withthestately

waltz“TruthSerum” an early sighting of his

softer side.9/10

BILLCALLAHAN

SometimesI WishWe

WereAnEagle

DRAGCITY, 2009

Hissecondoutingunderhis

ownname,after2007’sWoke

OnA Whaleheart, thismightbethebestLPof

Callahan’scareer(sofar),itsobliquereflections

onageingandlossevidenceofa songwriter

who– at 42 – wasstillgettingbetter.“In case

thingsgopoorlyandI notreturn,remember

thegoodthingsI done,” hesingsonopener

“Jim Cain”; remember this one first.9/10

howtobuy...

SHEPHERD’S DELIGHT

Bill Callahan’s best records so far

new albums

MCLeAN STePHeNSON

Callahan:

a returnto

something

simpler