Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle

This sounds like someone’s dad who thinks he’s a singer but can actually only carry one note got access to a recording studio and tried to record a folk album.

I'd never heard of Bill Callahan before today. The genre is classed as country, but that isn't the genre I heard upon listening to the album. Wikipedia has it classed more as apocalyptic folk, or doom country... Sounds like they are making up genres, but it does fit better in these categories than just straight "country". This type of music reminds me a lot of Nick Cave's more folk oriented albums. Bill's deep, slow vocal delivery brings with it feelings of gloom and despair. His phenomenal, poetic lyrics really drive these feelings home. He has a philosophical quality to his music. A few examples of deep lyrics include: 1) From the song Eid Ma Clack Shaw (about the death of someone close to him) : Love is the king of the beasts, And when it gets hungry it must kill to eat 2) From the song All Thoughts Are Prey to Some Beast (The eagle is depression and anxiety, and when he shows up all the smaller birds (good thoughts) fly off): The leafless tree looked like a brain, The birds within were all the thoughts and desires within me, Hoppin' around from branch to branch, Or snug in their nests listenin' in, An eagle came over the horizon, And shook the branches with its sight, The softer thoughts: Starlings, finches and wrens, The softer thoughts, they all took flight Overall, this was an amazingly deep album which was a lot to digest. Thankfully, none of the songs overstay their welcome. I listened to it twice today: once for the lyrics, and the second time for the musical accompaniment. An absolute classic of a record. I will definately listen again. I will say, you have to be in a gold head space in order to enjoy this record. It is very heavy and dark, but if you are open to it, it is absolutely beautiful. Favourite songs: My Friend, Rococo Zephyr, Too Many Birds, Jim Cain, All Thoughts Are Prey to Some Beast, Eid Ma Clack Shaw Least favourite songs: Invocation of Ratiocination 5/5

Absolutely majestic. Post-Smog wonder.

Prog country - which I didn't know existed before! Really interesting and enjoyable, although it's tricky to pick out a best song as it works best as a single piece. Loved it!

Sad cowboy folk? A much more interesting take on the country genre than the fifty "yeehaw pardner we don't like yer kind in Tennessee (banjo solo)" albums I've had to listen to. Reminds me of Nick Cave's "Ghosteen". They both even have a horse in an ethereal environment on the cover. Yeah, I really like this. 4/5

I wasn’t into it at first but then I was

I love Smog, and I'm pretty sure Bill Callahan has written and performed many gems during his subsequent career under his real name--I've been checking him out once in a while, just like you get news from a former good friend you don't see so much anymore, just to make sure he's alright. But I'd be lying if I said I knew the contents of his "solo" records by heart. So I guess it's nice that this app reminds me of him now... I'll stop beating about the bush, this album is excellent. "Jim Cain" is a perfect Callhanesque melancholic opener. "Eid Ma Clack Shaw" is the sort of surprising groovy cut Bill dabbles with sometimes, bringing welcome energy to the early part of the tracklist. "The Wind And The Dove" is a chiaruscuro wonder where the oriental flourishes and minor chords of the verses provide a stark contrast to the sudden major illuminations gracing the rest of the song. "Rococo Zephyr" is a subtle and touching love song. "Too Many Birds"'s finale provides a sort of gentle epiphany only Callahan is capable (the way the final line of the song is built up from one word from the next over that enticing piano hook at the end of each measure is a stroke of genius). "My Friend" is a mid-tempo oddity that's both tense and joyful, oddly enough (love the female wordless minimalistic backing vocals on that !). "All Thoughts Are Prey To Some Beast" is the experimental centerpiece of the album, a long dirge that uses the metaphor of birds on trees to go inside Callahan's psyche. And after a short instrumental interlude comes the baroque 10-minute closer of the album, the Nietzschean, yet paradoxically soulful, "Faith/Void". In this track, as in many other ones in this LP, the strings section and other lush instrumentation backing Callahan do wonders (that weird melodica at the end!). What's so surprising, in this song as well as other long ones Bill wrote elsewhere, is how time fly by while you listen to them. The American songwriter knows how to put his audience in a meditative state like few of his colleagues can. The only issue that could prevent me from giving five stars to this record is that as great as Bill Callahan is, I have a feeling his records (and some of his songs) are often interchangeable. Which is a problem for a list of "essential" LPs. Which one do you choose, in the end? Maybe 2022's "REALITY" could apply as well? But you can't cram everything in, can you? Wise and world-weary Callahan would probably laugh those vacuous concerns about a "best albums" list away, though. He's too much into the immanent moment to care about such neurotic endeavors. And he's right. So in that spirit, I guess my final grade doesn't matter that much... Number of albums left to listen to: approximately 500 (I've temporarely lost count here). Number of albums I'll include on my list: a half so far, approximately (including this one) Number of albums I *might* include; a quarter approximately. Number of albums I will never include (many others are more important): another quarter.

"It's time to put God away" 🤘 It's a kinda weird album honestly, a bit love or hate probably. I'm leaning love though.

I wasn't completely blown away, but the tracks were all well composed and never overstayed their welcome. Highlight for me was 'All Thoughts Are Prey To Some Beast' - a great track with an equally great title.

Lost the will to live halfway through the first song. When hillbillies think they're deep.

There aren't many people from whom I would accept claptrap like "Rococo Zephyr" but listening to Bill Callahan makes me feel like I'm in the presence of a protective Big Brother Bear and nothing will harm me as long as I'm in earshot of his comforting voice. His vocal range is approximately three notes and he sings a lot about trees and branches and birds and different kinds of birds and rivers and yet...I love him and I love this album. ...ro-co-co...

It's time to put God away.

hauntingly beautiful I need to hear more of his stuff 10/10

Via deze lijst krijg je een hoop voor je kiezen. Interessant, leuk, vervelend, verrassend, herrie, saai, gaaf... Dat soort termen gebruik ik wekelijks meerdere keren, maar de muziek die ik via deze lijst beluister is zelden 'mooi'. Sterker nog, ik heb na 367 albums pas 3 keer een album mooi genoemd. Wat is het dan fijn als de muziek op een album eens een keer gewoon mooi is. Een lekker diepe stem en een zangstijl die haast vertellend is, maar toch is het ook wel echt gezongen. Lastig te omschrijven. Het doet denken aan Nick Cave, maar het komt een stuk minder depressief en een stuk warmer over. Een soort stoner folk. Lekkere strijkers, af en toe een lieve vrouwenstem, een lekker breed en vol stereo geluid, fantastische productie. De instrumenten komen allemaal tot hun recht en de zang sluit er goed bij aan. Ik vermoed dat ik deze vaker ga aanzetten en ik denk dat dit wel eens dé ontdekking van deze lijst van 2024 kan zijn voor mij. 5 sterren.

Relistened to this a few weeks ago and it’s just very lovely. All of Bill’s stuff just completely envelops you in this delicate world with his emotion-heavy voice just floating at the low end of this lush instrumentation rather than breaking above it - wonderful mixing and songwriting that always results in a soothing experience

Exceptionally boring

Talky folk. Nope

Had no expectations going into this, but holy smokes was this incredible. Kind of a strange, dry, folksy, indie rock hybrid album. But these songs have depth and story telling, and they evolve over their durations repeatedly. My favorite example of this is Eid Ma Clack Shaw. The verses talk about a dream state that supposedly lets him visit a person he has lost, or maybe not? And then he talks about being gifted the perfect song in his dreams and when he wakes, finds out it was all gibberish. While this is a funny twist, the music here speaks with conviction that, somewhere in the nonsense, the perfect songs exists here. It also just generally slaps. Several songs are great, like The Wind and the Dove, My Friend, and All Thoughts Are Pret to Some Beast. Awesome album.

This is just a brilliant album. Song after song are memorable, simple melodies, beautifully performed. Some similarities in places with, among others, Nick Drake, Richard Hawley, Sun Kil Moon. The standard is high throughout. Strongly recommended

amazing

I knew BC from only one song, "The Mackenzies" which I loved. This album has delivered a lot more. And I love that it works as a whole, something not so often seen in the selection I've had so far. Doubted between the 4 and 5 stars - 4 because of a couple of weird turns in the music that I didn't love. Other than this, a whole universe in itself - we are all soothed into it by Bill's honey baritone.

I likes this. I prefer the stuff he released as SMOG.

Wow, I had not heard of Bill Callahan (or Smog). I really like his sound. And the first song is excellent. But the rest of the album... again, I like his sound, but aside from Faith, none of the other songs much caught my attention. Still, this is better than a lot of what's on the "1001 List", so I'll give it four stars. (It's better than the two Bowie albums I've been recommended so far, and I like Bowie.) I will be listening to more of Bill and Smog in the future.

Pleasant voice. Slow entrancing music. Nothing ground breaking, but not a dime a dozen. I usually don't like this style of music, but this record was a lot better than I expected. Favorite song: Rococo Zephyr.

Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle. Dude has a pretty captivating voice which is almost spoke-word rather than singing, it's dominant because it's a rich baritone but it's not distracting, the balance of the compositions is pretty great tbh. It's just that it's a generally chill album without too much to write home about, it's somewhat standard melancholic singer-songwriter stuff with a country-adjacent twist. Hard to hate it, hard to dislike it, definitely a 2, maybe a 3 because I found it calming after a night of relatively little sleep due to a poorly 3yo, but it does get a little weird and proggy towards the end.

I enjoyed this, even if it felt a little more theatrical than my usual tastes, but really, it just made me want to listen to a Silver Jews record.

Sorry I can't handle this guy's mumble-talking-singing.

It‘s a haunting beauty. What a gem.

Adore this record. It's just absolutely lovely. Take out of the book incorrectly, especially as there's no other Smog in the book. This is my favourite, but Dream River and Red Apple Falls are also great, and lots more besides. I'm prepared to believe that Bill really did write Eid Ma Clack Shaw lyrics in his sleep. Quirky innovations like that drivel reveal, and the one word at a time fade in from Too Many Birds hooked me in and I just fell in love with this gorgeous and comfy record. I could drink Faith/Void in all day. I've heard it so many times and only just now realised it's nearly 10 minutes long.

this is a strangely enigmatic and fascinating album. i couldn't stop listening to it, although singer/songwriter stuff is usually not my angle.

Fed stemme. Den lægger sig lidt mellem Matt Berninger og Lou Reed. Lydmæssigt har jeg svært ved at høre country’en. Musikken minder mig mere om The National. På nogle numre er der endda de samme rastløst søgende trommer. Det er er fint og følsomt album der også er underholdende og insisterende på at være interessant. En kæmpe overraskelse der smadre min gennemsnitsrating af country

This album is so much better than the cover! I was expecting some twangy country sounds, but I got some earthy folk instead. Loved it.

Fuck. This is almost too good to be on this list. Gave me chills.

Oh yes.

Hyper articulate heavy vibes. Very dig.

Loved this album a lot

Such an amazing listen. Enjoyed it throughout.

I really enjoyed this album. To be honest, I’m not too familiar with Bill Callahan. I’ve listened to Smog a few times and enjoyed it, and I once checked out a collaboration album between him and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. Now, this album is absolutely amazing. I love his baritone voice, which is deep and full-bodied. His vocal delivery is calm and almost conversational, flowing naturally without ever sounding forced. The production is clean, crisp, polished, and layered, allowing each element to shine. It gives the music a beautiful, bright, and colorful vibe. Out of everything I’ve heard from Bill Callahan so far, this is definitely my favorite.

A perfect album for a Sunday.

It’s lovely. Pure and simple and honest. Birds and nature and Callahan’s reflections on life. Deceptively simple melodies and song structures make this a surprisingly deep and beautiful album

Another instant 5 star, one of my favs

I am completely floored

Superb record this. Familiar with Smog but I dont think I’ve ever checked out his stuff under his real name. Poor lad gets banded as alt country, but the only thing remotely country for me is his accent, everything else way surpasses that genre. Probably more folk thn anything. Definitely got an air of Wilco or even very early National about this at times. Even a very tad krauty for a song or two, think it’s the drumming that does it. Great stuff anyway, will have this on a lot I reckon

I've come late to Bill Callahan; I'm catching up gradually. This was new to me but it's lovely.

This was super nice and chill and I really liked it.

want on vinyl this album atomizes me i love great country songwriting

I swear Bill Callahan must have had an old man's wisdom since he was a teen...

I was worried when I saw the cover but I live this type of indie music. Really good, made me feel things.

Well okay, this is why I'm doing this list. Love this.

Stamping a place amongst underground circles for years under pseudonyms, Bill Callahan came around to using his own name and forged a concrete identity with it. His second record, Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle, is a revelatory, riveting listening experience from start to finish. Not a note is wasted, every minute of a song has meaning and it pulls you into a world you'd wish you'd stay in for longer than forty-eight minutes. I've got nothing else to add other than give it a listen. I'm glad I had.

I listened to this while inside on a rainy day, and I feel like it fit the vibe perfectly. Calm soothing indie folk is a vibe I enjoy a lot, and I loved this album.

Enjoyed this way more than I had expected!

So unassuming yet so fascinating. Well written, composed and arranged in it's simplicity. So many subtleties. Second listen through is even better than the first.

Really lovely album throughout, with lyrics that paint beautiful pictures. Not an every day listen, but emotionally affecting. Favorite tracks: "Too Many Birds" (his only song with which I had prior familiarity) and "All Thoughts Are Prey To Some Beast."

Singer-songwriter, alt-country, Americana. I was pretty skeptical of this album at first, not really the genres I delve into a lot especially one as recent as this. The first song kind of threw me off, some of the vocals sounded dangerously close to spoken word and I did not want a full album of that. But as the album progressed, Callahan shows off his vocal ability and the lush, soothing instrumentals backing him really pulled me in. It was a very mellow and introspective album, the lyrics clearly felt very personal even if I didn't read into them a whole lot. I think this album was mixed and produced masterfully and I loved how weird it occasionally got. I felt like it picked up a lot in quality towards the later half, but it could have been that I listened to that part at a different time. Overall, very happy with this album. I would love to listen to it again and read the lyrics. Really want to relisten. 4.5/5

I was a bit worried seeing the country label paired with the low overall rating but this caught me by surprise. It had nothing to do with country. Some doom folk maybe? And the low overall rating on albums I really like is nothing new. This is going onto my heavy rotation; what a beautiful piece of art

So…. Relaxing…

Nice

I've listened to Bill Callahan (and Smog) a little before, but it never made too much of an impact. He's got a fantastic voice, and the songs are usually very lush, melodic arrangements, so I suspect I've tended to let it drift into the background. Well, this project has prompted me to pay closer attention, and I _loved_ what I heard. Such fantastic lyrics! He's maybe kinda in the same ballpark as Nick Cave, but whereas Cave is theatrical and bombastic, Callahan is more introspective, tinged with melancholy and .... hope? Great stuff - will make a point of going through his back catalog now. Fave tracks - "Too Many Birds", "My Friend" and "All Thoughts Are Prey To Some Beast" is a hell of a 3 track run!

More Americana than I have ever delved into, but with lofi and indie elements. I really enjoyed this album. Several parts where his voice is so low, very sonorous. He sings like he’s sitting down. Feels like that creaking saddle.

What a breath of fresh air. I would have never expected something like this to be on this list. It surprises me every once in a while I guess. Very lovely.

definitely not your average gym album but it was a good enough album it didn’t even matter. very beautiful throughout. achieves exactly what it sets out to do

sehr schön

Så fucking bra. Otroligt mysigt album

Yeah, this is something special. Warm and sad and kind

Blown away by this one. Wasn't expecting much but songs I'm excited to hear again!

Had never heard of this guy. ?Alt-country. Really love the tone of his voice and the quality of the recording. Deceptively someone but well executed. The last two tracks aren't as good as the others. The penultimate track seems like a complete throwaway. Will be listening to this again and will try other album by this artist.

I loved this it was wonderful

Poetic, great

This was a trippy album to listen to. Vocals were monotone but in a pleasing way? The lyrics were beautiful if only a little repetitive but it never got annoying. It just pulled you in to a trance and kind of slowed everything down.

This was outstanding. Dark. Melodic. One of the more emotional singers I have ever heard. I will be revisiting this and his catalog.

Absolutely perfect from first sound to last music. 5/5

this is smog! it's a super enjoyable album

Beautiful

Oh my god how calm it is. I love this.

Unexpectedly kinda liked this one and also vibed with the following Spotify radio.

I was hooked from the first sounds. The songwriting is gloriously clever, the instrumentation is a fantastic accompaniment to the themes of each song, and the album as a whole is a really good concept. Also goodness, I wasn't familiar with Bill Callahan coming into this, but I'm a fan. What an awesome bass-baritone voice.

Phenomenal album! Reminds me a lot of silver jews but a bit more happy

Adore it, mellow and quirky

Was quite excited to get this, as I am a strong casual fan and have not heard this in full. Some of his loveliest work on here, I think, and I'll probably add it to the collection. Jim Cain is exquisite, Eid Ma Clack Shaw poignantly funny, Faith/Void masterful. 2 listens, purchased and 5*

Fascinating, compelling, emotional. Strong Nick Drake resemblance.

At first listen Bill Callahan seems to fit in well with the songwriters of the early seventies like Townes Van Zandt, Nick Drake, and Lou Reed. It’s always refreshing to find well-composed, underground, and almost poetic music emerging in the 21st century. I can confidently say that “Jim Cain” is the most well written song we’ve gotten that (likely) none of us has ever heard, and even the very first lines are worth taking a deeper dive into. Why is he looking for the ordinary, as opposed to the extraordinary? Things don’t turn out as planned, but how do things end? Callahan’s songs take on a variety of experimental lyrical structures, such as the pyramid buildup in the back half of “Too Many Birds” and the well-placed repetition in “Faith/Void.” But more significantly, they invoke a variety of images in our minds. “All Thoughts Are Prey To Some Beast” is a stroll through the Columbia River Gorge while an angry Pacific storm brews out west. “Invocation of Ratiocination” is an eerily still midnight on the usually gusty Dakota plains. “Rococo Zephyr” is a warm breeze over whichever backyard creek makes you most yearn for the carefree days of youth. Stylistically, the album is a crossover between mid-career Beatles (particularly “Eleanor Rigby” from Revolver and “Blue Jay Way” from Magical Mystery Tour) and Transformer by Lou Reed. Bill Callahan’s lyrics are as rich as any and go far beyond most on even this list. I’d never heard of Callahan or anything by him, but I’ll definitely take a look at his catalog. I’m not sure if he found what he was looking for on his search for ordinary things, but with this album he’s certainly given us something more than ordinary.

The best artist I’ve discovered so far on the platform. His deep clear voice sounds a bit like an indie Leo Kottke, the lyrics are thought provoking, but it’s the musical arrangements that blew me away. The varied melodic syncopation has uncommon feeling and depth to it. In particular My Friend and All Thoughts are Prey to Some Beast propelled this to a 5 star album from a solid 4.

sonzao, tranquilo e tal, bem produzido, tipo um leonard cohen moderno

Shoegaze country?

I thought this was beautiful - deceptively spare. Layers of emotion and complexity in simple delivery. I will listen to this again. Probably on days when I’m crying under a duvet.

This was very cool. Nice discovery. I'm getting strong Silver Jews vibes, though this guy is different. Cool songwriting and I even liked his Sprechstimme approach to singing. I will definitely listen to this again.

This is honestly just a super pleasant album that has a sort of timeless quality to it. You could have told me that this was made in the 70s, and I wouldn't doubt it at all. His voice is a beautiful baritone that is very soothing when set to the music. He doesn't have the greatest vocal range, but he's not trying to do to much, so it works really well 4/5

Gentle as the day comes and goes, vast as the earth and sky above, Bill Callahan's songs and voice provide an unusual comfort. On first glance, much of Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle may seem quaint or off-beat, but listening closer to how Callahan composes his songs reveals a shimmering conversation between himself and his music. The interplay becomes a complex ritual that sees Callahan moving in and out of focus as rhythms dance along to his sweet guitar. Much of his unique songwriting can be chopped up to his earlier works under the name Smog, which was much more experimental in nature. Chalk that up to valuable experience, because Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle is a beautiful piece of work that deserves every bit of recognition it gets.

Ok I really love “My Friend”. My feeling with this album is that it’s quite cool, but maybe not 1001 necessary. Oof the strings on “All Thoughts…” though. Fave Tracks: Jim Cain, My Friend, All Thoughts Are Prey to Some Beast, Faith/Void

I like the music and most of the compositions but Bill doesn’t have a ton of range. It’s easy to stop paying attention and just let this run in the background. I wish more of the songs had actual singing instead of the folky talk-singing thing he was doing. I think his voice is mixed too far forward in some of the tracks. If it blended in with the music more then it might give the illusion that he has more range and that he isn’t singing over the top of someone else’s music. Rococo Zephyr was probably the highlight for me since it had some nice strings and female backing vocals thrown in. Faith/Void is pretty good too although it does start to drag near the end. It’s about 2 minutes too long.

went into this expecting something different. thought it was lovely. reminds me of nick drake in parts.

Cool album

never heard of him, he's good, good sound and voice

Haven't listened to this in a while. Absolutely stands the test of time. Eid ma clack shaw being the standout track for me.

I’ve listened to a few of Bill’s albums in the past, but not this one. I think it’s his best that I’ve heard and after listening to it three times it’s certainly a grower. SIWWWAE is a well crafted, idiosyncratic album that never gets boring in spite of Callahan’s deadpan vocal style. It reminds me of a more acoustic focused Lambchop, a band that probably shares fans with Smog/Callahan but incorporates more electronic music elements. Jim Cain, Too Many Birds, and My Friend are the highlights, and the droning closer Faith/Void gives the album an abstract, existential conclusion. A wonderful record that could grow into 5 stars.

I feel like I know this music… maybe it came to me in a dream? More likely I heard my partner listening to it. It’s good

I thought it was a bit annoying voice but medium. But it's grown on me

Surprised I've never heard of this before. Reminds me of Mark Kozalek. I'm interested in this guy's more lo-fi stuff.

Some nice, folk-inspired indie tunes, with some unique sounds thrown in. Chill vibe.