Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle

This was an interesting listen. His voice is truly haunting and very nice to listen to. He almost has a spoken word kind of quality in some places, but very deep and resonant and I liked it. There were some places where his voice got a little Kermit-The-Froggy, but it was still nice. The music was a little more basic, both in terms of the chord progressions and depth of musical interest, but I didn't mind. Sometimes simple is good. There were a lot of catchy rhythms and melodies and I listened to it through twice. Four stars, only docked from five because of the very slight faults I mentioned above.

Bill Callahan has a very trance-like take on folk music, and when you're in the right headspace for that kind of thing, it's very nice. I had listened to this album before, giving it a few tries around the time it was released, and it never managed to stick. Who knows if it will now have more staying power, but I was of the right mind to enjoy this album this time around, and enjoy it I did.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Best Track - "Too Many Birds"

Ich kann mich leider bis zum schluss nicht mit dem "gesang" anfreunden ansonsten wäre es höher 3/5

Choosing to ignore “Invocation…”, which I was unlistenable, and rate this otherwise interesting, mellow album as though that track doesn’t exist.

quite nice, although I think I prefer his voice more in Smog than I do with the production on this album. Wish it were a little more county, honestly. this is the kind of music I teasingly refer to as boyfriend music

A little too slow for me but maybe I was just tired

I didn't know what to expect with this. The music is fantastic, gorgeous at times. The vocals are interesting, the lyrics too. It seems to command attention, I was glued to it. Amen to the final message. This between 4 and 5. Will try it out again soon.

This is shit. What are we doing here?

Trykke på alle de rette knappan men får mæ ikke egentlig til å føle nokka. Tror det va en svakhet i lytteren, ikke framførelsen.

This guy makes songwriting easy! Just write 2 sentences and repeat them for eight minutes, boom song written!

The next time my daughter complains about my singing voice, I'm going to play her this.

"Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle" contains nine restrained, delicate, and beautifully crafted tunes, accompanied by lovely orchestration. Each song is delivered in an unhurried, measured manner by Callahan's distinct baritone voice. It is hardly casual listening; rather, it is the ideal companion for a cold winter's evening in a cosy living room with a glass of red wine. In time, I suspect repeated listens will transport me to that exact headspace, regardless of where I am. Taking each track in isolation, and if this style of music is your thing, then they feel like strong four-star songs. Yet as a complete album, and listened to as such, it becomes a rewarding experience - making the case for the album feeling every bit like a five-star record. Perhaps a case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts? Probably why it's on this list. Running at just over 48 minutes across nine tracks, it makes you wish more modern albums were this focused. Four stars. 1 "Jim Cain" (4/5) 2 "Eid Ma Clack Shaw" (4/5) 3 "The Wind and the Dove"(4/5) 4 "Rococo Zephyr" (4/5) 5 "Too Many Birds" (4/5) 6 "My Friend" (4/5) 7 "All Thoughts Are Prey to Some Beast" (4/5) 8 "Invocation of Ratiocination" (4/5) 9 "Faith/Void" (4/5) Total - 36 Average - 4.0 424/1001 224/424 albums reviewed were new to me.

Dejligt album

Gudesmuk. Den var #3 på listen da jeg rankede Bill Callahans plader for 7 år siden. Den bedste var Red Apple Falls

Beautiful album

felt like the same song on repeat. unfortuatnely, not a huge fan

This album is deeply poetic. It made me reflect on my entire life and the choices I've made that got me here.

Really? But must hear? Dull repetitive. If you want acoustic playing listen to punch brothers phosphorescent blues album. Or bela fleck. Or tony rice. Or a thousand others. This sounds like a ted lasso soundtrack or a scrubs episode in which J D realises - never before mentioned in any tv show - that being a doctor is hard. Gee. What an insight. And such perfectly placed music. ‘My friend’ is musically interesting but undercut by trite lyrics. Dear 1000 albums. Must try harder.

(sigh) This is a very intimate and personal album, and I am sure that, if it connects with the listener on that personal level, it is profound and meaningful and delicately beautiful and emotionally resonant and blah blah blah. But this does not speak to me. It's not bad -- it's smartly written, tastefully arranged and played -- but Mr Callahan's laconic, deadpan vocal stylings annoyed me more and more as the album progressed. I find his disaffected, enervated drawl emotionally alienating. I can't help but imagine what it would be like if we just replaced all the vocal tracks with a good singer; Phoebe Bridgers is the name that immediately springs to mind because her material is not a million miles from this, but if we're playing fantasy-casting here, what about Emmylou Harris? Shit yeah, now we're talking! That could potentially be a 4-star album. But that final song, 'Faith/Void' has no business being nearly 10 minutes long. That is just taking the piss.

Grounding and peaceful. Haven't really asked myself if I really liked it or not but it was a good listen

2트랙들엇어요

Decent little folk (?) album. The guy's voice isn't great but the lyrics are. 6/10

Ok

I’m sure people will find this one boring, but I found it extremely pleasant and warm to listen to.

2000s folk. Very lovely, deep distinct voice. Lyrics like talking.

Mouais

08/30 Boring

Album #183: Bill Callahan – Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Bill Callahan is my dinner party music. He’s music that I throw on in the background when family, especially distant family or friends I haven’t seen in a while come over. There’s an air of anticipation, there might potentially be awkward silences and stuff like that, common with my awkward arse, so I put Bill Callahan on. He’s just got this certain low-level, low-end hum that’s pleasant yet not overbearing to the ear, and then there are these flourishes of beauty that keep it from being offensively boring, while the music itself remains pretty inoffensive. He very, very rarely raises himself above his own din. I’ve actually heard this album a lot of times on shuffle mode, but I’ve rarely properly listened to it. And I think it’s great. It’s got its dips, but it’s got its highs, and its highs are very high. The star of the show isn’t Bill Callahan, in my opinion, but the strings. I love bands like Tindersticks and all those guys who take folk music and put these beautiful string arrangements, and even horn sections, behind it. I absolutely love that stuff when it’s done well, and I can think of few albums that do it as well as this one. Songs like Jim Cain, Rococo Zephyr and My Friend are just gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous songs. There are a few tracks that are forgettable, and I actually think the second track is downright quite bad. It’s a bit of a stinker of a tune. Not sure what he was going for there. But everything else is perfectly nice. Despite being my background music, I just want to give a shout-out to his song Vessel in Vain, performed under the moniker, Smog. One of my all-time favourite songs. So I do think he’s capable of making incredible songs too. But he’s also just a lovely, lovely sound to have on in the background. I’m sure he’d find that very offensive, but I genuinely mean it as a compliment. He’s the finest background music there is.

Beautiful. Like a warm hug. Blanket, cup of tea, raining outside, heating on and Bill gruffly serenading away. Beautiful.

I checked the release date twice because these songs sound like 70s vintage. Certainly this is a lost album by Leonard Cohen and James Taylor's love child? But 2009 it is and it isn't a relic of some non-existent past but a finely-honed group of songs waiting to be fallen in love with and I think that's the whole reason I'm doing this challenge - to find artists like Bill Callahan.

Spoken word automatically sends my head into loving the smell of your own farts territory, however the music is really noice. Again, an album to listen to before I die? Really? Oh f*ck this last song is 10 f*cking minutes!

Ok, nice acoustic album but wouldn't listen again

This album dares to answer the question: What if your most annoying uncle made music that was ... okay.

Ik ben heel aarzelend om hier punten aan te geven, want het is tegelijk niks speciaals en zeer goed. Ik denk dat ik gewoon de algemene vibe van het album wel goed vind, ookwel is er niet echt een nummer dat ik speciaal goed vind. 3-4 sterren.

This is country music? This sounds nothing like country music.

Digger Bill Callahan. Synd det ikke er flere plater av han på lista.

Spilt på blårock mandag formiddag. Nydelig. Kommer til å bli spilt masse fremmover. Sterk 4er

En av de meste sexy mannestemmene i bransjen. Too many birds, er er gammel favoritt her. Koselig plate.

Har så veldig lyst å like det, men syns det e litt kjedelig. Æ trur æ e med på «Best Of Bill Callhan», og så får det holde. Helt mid skive.

Hørte gjennom et par ganger, og likte den bedre og bedre. Snill firer.

Didn't like it. Only got about 1/2 way through Rating: 2.2/10

Started slow then I thought it might get better but no, it only got worse. Sorry not for me

I feel my biggest issue is that the vocals and instrumentals sometimes feel separate / not balanced right. I lose his voice a lot (my headphones are fine; it’s only an issue in some places). The songs sound nice but I think they’d benefit from slightly different mixing or a stronger singer. Is it the horse on the cover wishing they were a singular eagle? The horses are intriguing.

Weird. Really liked it.

A lot of this album feels like talking not singing. the instruments get it a point

This was very strange. Bare poetry over pleasant music. Lost interest 3-4 songs before then end.

Gloomy old dude music, not really for me.

Country, 49eme album =>2/5 Ennuyeux et trop long, mais un peu plus original que la majorité des albums de ce style.

Reminds me of a lot of what I listened to around 2005 in smoke-filled living rooms. Nice stuff. Lovely rich production.

It grew on me. Not quite 4, but solid 3 stars.

Sometimes I Know He Is The GOAT

mejor de lo q pense

This was way easier to listen to than a lot of our recent records. Actually kind of nice to get some nice mellow songs after all the mediocre punk records. It was ok! In the world I’d give this album a 2 because I’m pretty neutral on it but maybe slightly higher on this list because I like it more than stuff like Adam and the Ants. 2.5

Really dislike the vocals and the songwriting. Some decent recording quality and drum sounds, and that is the only thing saving this from being a one

The songs are boring and he’s not even singing.

I was torn on this one. I didn't go in expecting to like it but the lo-fi feel of the album really goes a long way. On the other hand it's still a tracklist with folk/country twang that isn't for me and at times I'd argue bad.

Instrumentally sound...half spoken half sung. Found it boring.

I fuck heavy with this. The opening nylon string. Muah.

No.

Well that was just dreadful.

Slow and grim, but not intolerable, until that endless last song. The thought of him dating Joanna Newsom is kind of terrifying.

3.2

Too slow and weird for me

I found this quite moving.

not unpleasant but also unremarkable. certainly not what I was listening to in 2009

Perfect morning music

3.5 stars

The music is very pleasant, but miss me with the spoken-word vocals.

I ended up really liking this. Kinda post rock meets folk/country. Really crisp production. Very chill.

Really good beautiful folk album. Above average.

Album 277. Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle — Bill Callahan (2009) Warm, touchy, dark doom country. Needs a certain mood for the right listen. The album is very similar to Nick Drake or Nick Cave music. 3/5 No liked songs

This is too mopey for me. I guess I prefer to mope in a more upbeat way: Magnetic Fields, Sufjan Stevens, etc.

Kind of felt like listening to nothing? But it wasnt actively bad.

Good nap time music. My favorite song was Faith/Void.

There are some very pretty melodies and musicianship on this album. Just didn’t fully do it for me.

Bill Callahan sounds like the name of a guy who lives down the street. His music on this album is serviceable but nothing memorable. As for the lyrics, I feel like he’s trying to be like Leonard Cohen. Some of the tracks were too long and too repetitive. Overall this album has a unique quality about it, but i’s not for me.

Cute horse pic. Too bad about the album. Just kidding, the album is fine. Indeed, lotta bird talk. The music is pretty, actually, I just wish the singing matched it instead of being some guy talking. (If I recorded an album this is how my vocals would be, too. But I didn't record an album, did I?) A great opportunity for some covers (which I searched for and didn't find!)

that was fucking majestic

Halfway through the first track I really thought I was gonna hate this. The near monotone talking over some interesting instrumentals was not what I was looking for. But somewhere along the line this really grew on me. It was billed as a Alternative Country album, but it's definitely more alternative than country. It's quite dark and haunting and there is some really interesting music being played. I'm still not sure if it would be better with someone who can actually sing, or wether it's better as it is. Either way, 3.5* rounded down to 3*

Great album. I have fond memories of first coming across this album and falling in love with Mr. Callahan's baritone and quirky humorous lyrics

This is a beautiful album, maybe it caught me on a good day, i dont know. I love the deep timbre of his voice, the simple poetry of his lyrics, the strings that lift every track, the fact it gets better in the second half.

Maybe this dude has a thing with birds. Stripped-down, this gives his clear baritone a chance to sing with impeccable diction. Lyrics that use simple metaphors in songs about friendship, fair, and family.

Big fan - folky but modern. Was surprised to see release of 2009. Actually gave me Leonard Cohen vibes too. Would definitely revisit.

#63 This album was a great find, the generator has really been on a roll for me lately! Exactly the kind of stuff I like. Mellow and dark alternative country, almost orchestral in nature. Nice use of strings and horns to really build out the tracks. Works great as a complete album, but each track is still unique on its own. This is not my first introduction to Bill Callahan, I listened to Apocalypse years ago but never really dove deeper into his music. I liked this album even more, and will definitely add this to my rotation. The album is great from start to finish, it's hard to pick favorites. Eid Ma Clack Shaw is incredible!

85

What in the hipster indie bedroom pop

Nice relaxing album... sounds like a sunday morning in the outdoors

I listened to this before bed and it was perfect--so boring I fell right asleep. Boring music, boring lyrics, monotone vocal. Actually, the vocal was a little too grating to call it boring, but it was so low that I could easily tune it out. I read some other listeners' reviews here and can understand why they liked it, but appreciated the folks in my camp: "talky-folky", "dad who thinks he can sing and got access to a recording studio".

The album was nice to listen to. It's not some crazy work of music. Lyrics are so-so.

I enjoyed this one, wasn't a fan of his voice to start with but it grew on me. A nice lo-fi album, except the production was very nice and clean

This album was a pleasant surprise to me - I didn’t expect much of it going into, but the mellow, slightly haunting folk / country tracks hit a chord with me. The vocal tone is extremely warming and complements the musical arrangements beautiful - listening to it almost feels like drinking a cup of hot chocolate whilst watching the world go by. There’s no doubt it’s relatively one-note throughout, particularly vocally - there’s no huge surprises once you get into the record - but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Meeeeeeh

Last time I listened to this one (4 years ago) I was at a 2. I like it more this go round.

Cool voice and vibe. This one caught my attention from the jump. Poetic lyrics with soothing melodies, philosophical and musical. Can't say I've come across anything quite like it, and I dig it.

Singer-Songwriter:Americana/Alt-Country/Chamber Folk Favorite Songs: Jim Cain, Eid Ma Clack Shaw, All Thoughts Are Prey to Some Beast Least Favorite Song: My Friend So I was going to come into this album expecting to hate it given that this site labeled it as Country, and while there’s some country aspects here and there, I wouldn’t say that it’s full on country, more so that it’s really folk. Nevertheless, while I don’t hate this album as I thought I would, I didn’t necessarily think it’s a great album either. It felt like there were moments where the album was slogging a bit with a couple of tracks that I did grew bored overtime. There’s my three favorites that’s going into my personal music library, but as for the rest, I just didn’t care all about it. 7/10, but I felt like it should’ve been more like a 6/10, hence why the three stars on this album.

i liked my friend, not much to say about the rest

The music has a dreamlike quality, loved the string parts, and the songwriting is decent. His voice is very one-note and gets boring. Alt country with very monotonous singing just isn't for me. There were a couple songs I enjoyed but I can't listen to more than one or two of these at a time. I listened to this again and it really is beautifully haunting music but his vocals still limit the time I can put into listening. I have moved my rating up slightly

Lovely. Interesting lyrics, beautiful arrangements. Just the right amount of odd for me.

trying way too hard

some lovely folk

Nice slow one. Like it

Who gave this guy the keys to the recording studio? Yea. It's not THAT bad, but why is this on this list? It's just a mishmosh of boring.

4/5. A really good singer/songwriter album. I love the way this record is produced, there’s a ton of interesting instrumental flourishes, but they’re subtle and in the background so it encourages active listening. Bill Callahan himself has that Cohen-esque monotone to his singing but still is able to pack an emotional punch when needed, his voice is honestly pretty calming. If I had to pick a favorite here it would probably be either “Eid Ma Clack Shaw” or “Too many birds.” Loved this one overall, great new discovery for me on the generator.

Preciosisimo album y EL OPENER ES INCREIBLE, es un album para escuchar de noche🙏🏻 8/10

Part of the boom of pastoral indie rock in the late 00s, this is gentle auteur Americana, lo-fi roots grown into grandiose ambition: long multi-part songs and big pillowy arrangements combining a slow paced rock low end, soaring strings, folksy acoustic guitars, and dreamy organs. His voice is simple and direct, limited in range but rich in timbre and very expressive. It makes for a warm nostalgic sound, familiar but reaching for more. Orchestral but not bloated. Peaceful but not boring.

Sometimes I wish you were an eagle too.

This album is flawless. A voice measured by an electron microscope expressing a mind running free of/from context from a soft bed of perfect midtempo guitar folk-rock, but also, fundamentally weird. It gets fives stars for the way he ends "Too Many Birds" alone. A top-ten all-time favorite for me.

Scene: A psychiatrist’s office. Psychiatrist: So, Mr. Callahan. I understand you’ve been wrestling with your faith. Bill Callahan: It’s time to put God away. It’s time to put God away. It’s time to put God away. It’s ti- Psychiatrist: Got it, thanks.

Normally I like his stuff a lot but we had to euthanize our cat the day this came up on the rotation and I just couldn't deal with it.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no... please, please, no! If I have to listen to any more country music, I'm really going to hang myself! And this one is literally going to become an album to listen to before I die :-(

the first two songs I really liked, and in that moment i thought: if all the songs were like this in this album Im gonna really enjoy it. It didnt happened. At some point it started to experiment and the songs were really strange. too bad

Lindo álbum. Muy hablado, pero igualmente facil de escuhar.

Wow. The country label isn't entirely accurate, but what a good album regardless. Bill's voice is deep and soothing, and the lyrics are very evocative and touching. The kind of writing that can only come from loss, pain, depression, and a crisis of faith. I'll definitely look out for more of his work in the future.

Good folky stuff

Pleasant with an interesting earthy sound, but doesn't travel too many places. Still has good things to offer, and Jim Cain is a good track

Does a good job of staying consistently boring all the way through. 5/10 nothing else to say

I think I prefer the stripped down guitar version of Callahan. Not to say this was bad, it’s interesting arrangements and sometimes heavier beats, which is a noticeable change from his original style.

I don't know if the guy can sing, or not, because there wasn't any singing beyond one damn note. The good news is that if you listen to the first 10 seconds of the song, then you've heard the entire song. This album reminds me of a bad SNL skit. This is music to play for someone that you don't want to wake up from a coma.

#998. Come in close friend, and I'll let you in on a little scret. Okay, are you listening? Here it is: Ain't no way in fuck I'm going to listen to this whole shitass album. 1/5: fuck no.

Nothing special.

I think we all sometimes wish we were an eagle, or a bird of your choosing (mine would be a peregrine falcon…but that’s not the point) so you can fly away from your problems. The thing with this album is that Callahan’s voice is so soothing and calming that it captivates you to stay. The melodies of the tracks compliment his voice and overall this was a quite peaceful and relaxing listen. Likes: Jim Cain; Eid Ma Clack Shaw; Rococo Zephyr; All Thoughts are Prey to Some Beasts

Really nice record. Dunno if it’s 1001 worth but it was nice

Not really for me...

This is an interesting album. I really enjoyed the music, and for the most part the songwriting is good. The arrangements are understated but effective, and there's a quiet confidence to the whole record. The thing that holds it back for me is Bill Callahan's voice. His delivery fits the mood he's going for, but I kept wondering how much better these songs could have been with a different vocalist.

This album started out with what I thought would be potentially at least interesting but turned out to be a completely boring production. Nice cover though.

Day915 - he has an interesting voice. his metaphors are a bit much

Dobro kad će neki zanimljiv album naići na ovom projektu? Jasno mi je da je 1000 albuma puno, ali mislim da se ovaj posao mogao malo bolje odraditi, pošto za većinu imam osjećaj da želim umrijeti prije nego ih čujem. 2/5, 3/10

꿀보이스

On todays installment of "albums I've never heard of that absolutely blew me away by an artist I've never heard of" we have this. I loved every second of it. I'm always a sucker for a good "sad folk album," but this is just on another level. The vocals are beautifully haunting, which is backed up perfectly by the very subtle guitar playing. The performances of literally everything on this album are huge parts of the atmosphere and why it works so well, despite how simple and stripped back most of it is. I'm honestly so glad that I recently decided to actually turn my brain on and stop hating country, this genre is amazing amd an album like this is a prime example of what I'm talking about. Country isn't all just guns, trucks, and fucking your cousin, it also shows such a soft and beautiful side of music.

You know what? It's not bad. I know, I'm also surprised. The first two songs I wanted to put my head through a wall. But once I loosened up and got into the headspace, I kind of enjoyed it. It was chill, it was interesting, it was kind of soothing. I don't know, man, it was pretty good.

this is something that deserves it's spot here. personal, intimate, calm. and interesting in a way i find compelling personally. i'm a sad person and these type of albums gets me deep

Pffff, qué rápido que cansa la voz de este tipo. Lo instrumental está bien, básico pero efectivo. La ultra caga con la voz bro

Liked it - got bored of it - liked it again

Found very little joy from this. Didn't enjoy the vocals. The music was passable. I dislike the album cover, seriously what is that?

A very nice album, focuses more on well orchestrated and tastefully put together songs than on some of the hard edges and experimental bent of the SMOG records and those weird song structures that both make those exciting and frustrating. Think I prefer exciting and frustrating although this record probably a better entry gate into Callahan's wider work.

yay smog

Tis one is ok

too many birds

Gorgeous and poetic. I enjoyed this and listened to My Friend more than once. His voice is so deep, I feel like I could get lost in it. Wow, Faith/Void was powerful!

-Almost Leonard Cohenesque -folk undertone

Creo que la voz puede llegar a ser un gusto adquirido, mejores canciones My Friend y All Thoughts Are Prey to Some Beast 3.7

Mein wundervoller Bewertungstext ist leider verloren gegangen. In kurz nochmal: Das Album ist großartig. Eine tolle Stimme, schöne Melodien mit reduziertem Arrangement. Fantastische Musik. 5/5

A sad, beautiful album that I need to listen to again.

So incredibly good

Aside from some nice lyrics here and there I think the flat tire vocal delivery actually detracts from decent arrangements. It's not often I get to listen to what I would guess will be the most boring thing I have heard in months. If not for giving it an honest listen for this project I would have turned this off midway through the second song.

Cantar de Pedro Abrunhosa

Álbum chill para trabalhar

Vibe diferente. Acho engraçado o destaque que a voz tem em cima da música, e uma letras curiosas. Às vezes é um pouco weird/desconcertante. Não sei se vou ouvir mais vezes, mas achei interessante e memorável

Estava muito pessimista. Pensei que ia ser uma cena country mas ate gostei. Seria um 3.5

This album was fine. I quite liked its timid sound. It’s not my usual sound but I thought it was good. Felt like it got better as tbr album went on. Enjoyed the last 2 songs the best.

Didn't make much of an impression on me this one, and I'm writing this review a week later so I remember even less of it. Not inclined to try it again.

Vihaan tota ääntä

Beautiful album - never heard of Bill Callahan before this - strong 4 out of 5

A lovely record.

What a very gentle record. Feels like I’ve heard this gentleman before, but nice to meet again if so. The whole vibe is very calm and serene. Bill’s voice brings about a soft overlay on the instrumentation which feels like floating in a dream. Really nice one.

9/10

Just not my type of music. Didn't hate it, but it's just super slow, almost monotone, and blah. All songs blend together and it's honestly hard to tell when they transition. Not for me.

If this dude would just shut up, this might not be so bad. Ah... now I see he was the backup guy on, then girlfriend, Joanna Newsom's Ys, and it all makes sense...

Im struggling with this one. On one hand I hated it. On the other hand I can get how this would hit for someone. If I was being objective, I’d give it a two. I personally hated this so much though.

Cool and dry sounding, will definitely be checking out Smog.

Oh, I went back and forth on this album. At first I was mesmerized: it seemed like nothing I'd ever heard before. Then I started to hear some Willie Nelson and Lou Reed in there, and this and that, and before long I was picking away at some of the more pretentious lyrics and longueurs. After which I reevaluated it all in ironic postmodern terms, but after a couple of listens I still couldn't quite make it work. I guess I'm more interested in hearing his (considerable!) other work than to spin this one again soon.

As much as I like the instrumentation of this album, Bill's talk-singing doesn't do it for me on most of the tracks. It's a shame because lyrically the whole thing is pretty interesting, I just found it to be an incredibly tough listen. Favorite track is probably the last one, Faith/Void.

Que difícil de analizar este disco. Que se yo, está bien primero. Creo que no es algo que sea de mi gusto pero tampoco le veo esa grandiosidad como para estar en una lista así. Por otro lado no es ni por cerca el peor de esta lista que he escuchado. No me veo escuchandolo de nuevo

I’m sure this appeals to someone, but I really struggled to find something I liked about this.

The orchestral backing music caught my interest at times, but I just really couldn’t get behind the free-meter type of talk-singing.

vocals have a very familiar quality to them. Feel like I must have hear the wind and the dove before...somewhere. Album is generally pleasant (excluding Invocation... which is an absolute stinker) but I don't see anything too special. Checking out the acclaim this album received it is definitely overrated. 3.5/5

I literally fell asleep while listening. The worst part was that I then had to re-listen.

Interesting lyrically. Not terribly creative musically. Simple songs that feature the vocalist crooning. Like Sufjan Stevens but not quite as good. A 3 for now, but could be a 4.

Very weird but I like it!

Really enjoyed actually, should listen to more/again

General thoughts: Is this folk? It's not country, definitely. The music is lyrics-focused, minimalistic, and with exploring lyrical structures. That's as folky as it gets. I love 60s folk but don't know much about other decades; if this is where modern folk is headed, I am looking forward to listening to more. In "Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle," the songs, like a fable, revolve around nature to echo the human condition. Callahan is without doubt an interesting, unconventional songwriter. A showy example is the triangular increment in 'Too Many Birds', which was cool, but in general his songs' structures are interesting. Adorned with a deep, echoing voice and beautifully placed arrangements, the songs engulf you while the lyrics paint you a scene. We can thank this level of inmersion to the amazing and clean production, which elevates the album as a whole. The album is strong, but 'Invocation Of Ratiocination' for me seems totally unnecesary and tanks it a bit. Outstanding song(s): All Thoughts Are Prey To Some Beast Eid Ma Clack Shaw Weakest song(s): Invocation Of Ratiocination Cover: Like a hazy dream where you are not meant to be Real rating: 3.83

A true folk album with the strong, deep voice, almost sing speaking through the album. His voice reminds me a slightly deeper Matt Berninger from the National. I think this album gets a bit repetitive in tone, but has some good tracks. Highlights: "The Wind and the Dove" and "My Friend"

s.s., country, 2009 -> 2

It was alright, a few good traps but nothing too spectacular

enjoyed a lot more than i thought i would!

Oh what a gem find. Definitely why I am doing this list. Never heard of the guy, never heard of this album, but it's beautiful. Too Many Birds is the standout and I loved the final track called Faith/Void. Kinda of reminds me of bit of Radiohead in that some of the songs don’t at first seem like songs but they get in your head.

it's an alright chill album Will I listen to again: 24%

Wasn’t what I was expecting going in. I’m not sure what this is but it’s not exactly country and still not quite folk. His delivery is a bit monotone but sometimes I can get behind that— it did take some getting used to and grew on me as the record played out. I couldn’t tell if this was genius or pretentious horseshit at first but after having listened I’m leaning towards the former. Really grew on me— I’m sure a lot of people probably hate this album’s guts. Wouldn’t play it for a friend, but it’s really nice for an introspective drive or a nice 45 minute mindful listen. Started thinking I’d give this a 2, switched to a 4 halfway through, and now that I’m thinking about it it’s probably a 5– fuck it idgaf

cool, should listen again to the lyrics

A complete surprise - thoroughly enjoyed

Mediocre man given a mic

8.5/10

It was really average 😐. There’s not much else I can say about it. It was like slightly better Leonard Cohen. Overall, I would give it a 3.4/5! 🌱

talk poems

i'm pretty sure i listened to a smog album years ago, but never bothered to check out Bill Callahan's solo work Jim Cain - 5/5 Eid Ma Clack Shaw - 5/5 The Wind and the Dove - 5/5 Rococo Zephyr - 4/5 Too Many Birds - 5/5 My Friend - 3/5 All Thoughts Are Prey to Some Beast - 4/5 Invocation of Ratiocination - 3/5 Faith / Void - 4/5 Average score: 4.2/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ someone else already mentioned it in a review but i don't think the country tag is all that accurate. country folk maybe? anyway, i wasn't sure what to expect from this album but for once, this exceeded any expectations i had going into this. his deep baritone voice, the string arrangements... it's haunting and atmospheric, but in a very beautiful way i wanted to give this 5 stars, but a couple 3-star tracks kinda dropped my anticipated score. i don't think it would've made much of a difference anyway, like the difference between 4 and 4.5 stars really as much as i crap on some of the albums that made this list, sometimes i'm thrown a curveball like this album and blown away. hell yeah

Es wirkt wie ein Rückzug ins Schlichte: langsamer Folk, trockene Beobachtungen, viel Raum, wenig Eile. Er klingt hier wie jemand, der Tradition nicht zitiert, sondern atmet – aber die Ruhe kippt manchmal ins Behäbige. Ein schönes, staubiges Statement, dem etwas Biss fehlt.

Chatice

What an interesting record, a base of country overlaid by classical strings and even bits of synth pop. If you can get beyond the pretentious song titles, the lyrics are pretty interesting too. Sadly. Callahan's flat, talky vocal style is not and it really spoils proceedings.

Get off the road ya damn beatnik! It's very unique. I don't think it's something I would reach for often though.

Not bad. Very mellow. Good songwriting. The vocals are very Leonard Cohen-esque. I enjoyed his.

Мимо кассы

Gently compelling, anchored by his very listenable baritone. 'The Wind and The Dove' stood out initially but then the rest of the album turned out great too

I'm already very familiar with Callahan through the lovely Smog project, which is one of the many cornerstones of sad 90s lower-fi folk. This one is very much in line with Bonnie Prince Billy's I See A Darkness, another lush expansion of one man's formerly depressing lo-fi folk project. It makes sense that they collaborated. I'm just glad to see Bill represented on this list; a highly underrated songwriter and one that may be responsible (unintentionally) for two of the best albums of all time, for better and for worse: Moon Pix and Ys.

It's always nice to hear something that sounds a little different on the 1001 albums list, but the dirge-like repetitiveness of the songs on this album just kind of grates after awhile. I'm sure this is somebody's favorite album of all time, but there's a lot more interesting music being made out there.

This was my introduction to Bill Callahan as an entire album. I think it's damn near perfect as an album. Maybe it is t for everyone but it sets out to be the finest representation of it's ilk. Great pacing, reasonable length, lyrics are top-notch, and the playing is tasty. You might not like it for *what* it is, but it's *very* good at being that thing.

me cuesta un toque el tono de voz, don't get me wrong, canta increíble y la verdad me gusto más de lo que esperaba, 3.5

I usually like this vaguely folksy singer songwriter stuff. The music was pleasant but his lyrics are abysmal.

Funny that this appeared on this list now, I was thinking of listening to this album just a few days back, after hearing some good things about Bill Callahan. A very introspective, surreal, and floaty album with stream-of-consciousness type lyricism over slow, atmospheric Americana-inspired instrumentation, with touches of baroque and folk laced throughout. It's all very dramatic and dense and does a great job at creating the world that you'll be encapsulated within for the duration of the record. Ultimately, though, Bill's vocals are the draw here; they're very blunt, both lyrically and in his delivery. He has this almost talk-sing style, and not as much driving melody in his singing as you'd expect from a singer-songwriter album. Found it a bit gimmicky at first, but it didn't take long for it to start clicking. It's a very unique style. There's a lot of nature-centric imagery on this record; the most obvious is 'All Thoughts Are Prey to Some Beast,' which helps contextualize the title of the album itself. The song uses smaller birds and an Eagle to represent the protagonist's intrusive thoughts taking up unwanted real estate in his mind. I love the way the strings and horns swell on this song as the Eagle reigns over these trees with smaller nests, and it's maybe the most emotive performance by Bill here. 'Too Many Birds' also has more of that nature-driven imagery; I really enjoyed the simplicity of the writing of this track and many of the other songs here (like on 'My Friend') - it feels like basic observational writing tied to some deeper meaning for the protagonist, like him finding solace and relatability in the most day-to-day things in nature. The internal monologuing nature of the writing here is just fantastic; it instantly ropes you in with the dreariness and morbidity of the first two songs, the twisted soft-heartedness and sarcasm of the hook in 'Eid Ma Clack Shaw' especially stuck with me. The opener 'Jim Cain', upon revisit after finishing the album, seems almost confined when compared to the freeing and euphoric messaging of the closer 'Faith/Void', it's such a depressing opener...leaves a void in my soul...love it. An album that I think would still greatly benefit from more repeated listening, Bill leaves the listener with a lot to chew on with the songs here. He does so much with so little; the imagery and sounds are very in your face, but it still seems like there are a million different ways to bounce the ideas presented here in your head. Beautiful album.

leonard cohen with no aura

Nor rlly my type of music

Hmmm he has some Leonard Cohen vibes? But way more... Boring... I couldn't get through a lot after just the first song...

This isn't what I expected at all, in that it's not really classic country, and it's actually good! At its best it's moody and interesting, with really nice instrumentation. I like his spoken / singing style, and there's just something overall comforting about it. It definitely started to drag a bit and get quite repetitive at the tail-end, which sadly brings the score down a bit. 3.5 rounded down.

2.5. Interesting and can see why some would like it but not really my thing.

He's a wry dark songwriter, and the deep voice sounds like it's carved out of a 1000 year old oak. I like the more straightforward folk/country songs, like Jim Cain, and the weird motorik beat (not beat) of Too Many Birds. But some of these missed for me, especially the more elaborately produced ones.

Coincidentally, the music podcast I listen to just did an episode on Joanna Newsom, sometime partner of Callahan and in the same scene. This sometimes veers toward affectation but mostly stays on the right side, thanks to solid songcraft and interesting lyrics.

Quite nice.

Would listen to more by the guy, didn't love every song but I enjoyed the general vibes

3.7 I would’ve guessed that this was from the ‘70s or ‘80s at the latest, but it came out in ‘09. Kinda gives me a bit of a Bob Dylan feel. A lot of talking and slow sing-y talking. There was one song I really liked, and I was hoping there would be more, but I didn’t love any others.

Jim Cain // The Wind and The Dove // Too Many Birds //

There’s a particular kind of album that doesn’t so much present itself as slowly establish a climate around the listener. This is one of those. By the halfway point I stopped hearing it as a conventional singer-songwriter record and started hearing it more as an ecosystem of perceptions: birds, weather, leaves, friendship, thoughts, faith, rooms, small sounds in air. Everything is connected, but not in a rigid symbolic way. More like a world where consciousness itself is porous and environmental. What struck me most was the way the songs seem to operate through partial understanding rather than polished explanation. The lyrics often feel as though they’re observing reality with slightly limited or animal cognition. Thoughts behave like birds. “Black and screaming leaves” feels less like poetic flourish than a survival-level interpretation of violent weather. Even the language itself occasionally bends into strange dream-logic syntax: “I am a child of linger-on.” The effect is uncanny because the songs are deeply intelligent while refusing the usual signs of literary cleverness. They feel discovered rather than engineered. Musically, the restraint is astonishing. The fingerpicking throughout is incredibly precise without ever sounding performative. The drumming on “Too Many Birds” is especially beautiful - loose, tidal, quietly alive. And the production deserves enormous credit. Small-room reverbs, close microphones, huge amounts of air between instruments. Nothing cinematic. Nothing inflated. The atmosphere comes from physical presence: wood, string noise, bow pressure, skin resonance, room reflections. It makes the album feel inhabited rather than produced. The imagery is extraordinary because it remains materially concrete even when dealing with large philosophical questions. Friendship becomes “two pieces of the gallows / the pillar and the beam.” Courtship becomes “a finch in wild mint vest.” The songs continually translate abstract emotional states into tactile physical structures. That’s the real artistic trick here. The weirdness never floats free of reality. It remains graspable through objects, weather and mechanism. The sequencing is masterful too. By the time “Invocation of Ratiocination” arrives as an instrumental, it genuinely feels as though words themselves have become suspect or insufficient. Then the closing movement toward “Faith/Void” lands with remarkable calmness. “It’s time to put God away” is one of the album’s key lines precisely because of its domestic practicality. Not rage against belief. Not triumphant atheism. Just the tired acknowledgement that a sustaining explanatory structure no longer quite functions. What’s remarkable is that none of this becomes bleak. The album remains warm, funny and companionable throughout. Even at its most existential, it still seems deeply interested in birds, weather, friendship and the continuing operation of small living systems. A profoundly thoughtful and quietly spoken record.

Leuke liedjes, maar te veel hetzelfde voor een album. Goede achtergrond wel

Gewoon tof

01) Jim Cain - 6,5 02) Eid Ma Clack Shaw - 5,5 03) The Wind and the Dove - 5,5 04) Rococo Zephyr - 6,5 05) Too Many Birds - 6,0 06) My Friend - 6,0 07) All Thoughts Are Prey to Some Beast - 6,5 08) Invocation of Ratiocination - 5,5 09) Faith/Void - 6,5 TOTAL: 6,06 (61/100)

I always wonder where to start with Bill/Smog and his other endeavors. Here is as good a place as any. Anyhow, definitely a rabbit hole I can go down.

Not a big fan of the talking-singing style but otherwise I liked the vibe. The ending lost me a little bit.

Solid 4.5. Produção extremamente agradável, com composições interessantes que variam entre folk, americana e um clássico singer-songwriter.

Like a modern Lou Reed album. Great instrumentation and vibe to the songs. Wasn't feeling the vocals as much but still a pretty solid, pleasant album

Pleasantly surprised by this, very sombre, simplistic almost, but nice chill listen

Pretty soothing listen. A good "nature" album. Never heard of this guy, but he has a pretty charming voice despite the fact that it doesn't *sound* like he's singing (if that makes any sense). Things kind of stay in one gear as a result, but it wasn't all bad. I hate to say this, but it all sounded like a more tolerable Nick Cave.

Melancholy, sad, blue

really liked this good morning listen

I dig this vibe. Really dry delivery with some dreamy indie pop.

Alright then... Country chamber pop. Nice to discover another new artist, but it's not really speaking to me. I get what he's going for, I know plenty of 40 something dad's that try to create the same sound 😂

Der amerikanische Musiker Bill Callahan, dem deutschen Publikum vor allem als Smog bekannt, veröffentlichte dieses Album im April 2009 über Drag City – seinen zweiten Longplayer unter eigenem Namen. Aufgenommen wurde es zwischen August und Oktober 2008 hauptsächlich im The Track Studio in Plano, Texas, mit einzelnen Sessions im Cacophony Studio in Austin; das klangliche Ergebnis trägt diese geografische Ruhe direkt in sich: weiträumig, unaufgeregt, mit viel Luft zwischen den Instrumenten. Produziert hat Callahan das Album selbst, arrangiert wurden Streicher und Bläser von Brian Beattie – und dieser Orchestrierung verdankt die Platte ihren unverwechselbaren Charakter. Inhaltlich kreist Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle um Verlust, Zweifel und eine Art ruhige Resignation. Callahans Bariton – halb gesprochen, halb gesungen – steht stets im Zentrum, während sich die Arrangements behutsam darum falten. „Jim Cain" eröffnet das Album mit einem der stärksten Momente der Singer-Songwriter-Musik dieses Jahrzehnts; „Eid Ma Clack Shaw" mischt schwarzen Humor mit surrealer Bildsprache, und „Too Many Birds" erreicht eine fast meditativ-feierliche Qualität. Das fast zehnminütige „Faith/Void" schließt das Album mit einer langsamen, hypnotischen Auflösung. Was diese Platte von vergleichbaren Werken des Genres unterscheidet, ist die konsequente Weigerung, sich Wirkung durch Lautstärke oder Dringlichkeit zu erkaufen. Callahan vertraut dem Schweigen, den Pausen, dem Unausgesprochenen – und genau dort entfaltet die Musik ihre eigentliche Kraft. Kein Song übertreibt, kein Arrangement drängt sich auf. Ein Album, das seinen Hörer nicht sucht, ihn aber findet – und nicht mehr loslässt.

I did not get it on the first listen, but the end of the album made me relisten since it was much better. The arrangements are great and the lyrics are fitting. I just find the vocal performance dull. More like spoken word than singing.

i can see the appeal but it's not for me i think. listening to it more tho it's growing on me lowk. time and place for it, but it's nice.

Certainly an interesting album. Can’t say I’ve heard anything quite like it which definitely counts for something. The highlight of the album is probably the beautiful instrumentation, a combination of sweeping strings, interesting percussion and occasional additional colour from some woodwind. There’s great use of the instruments to evoke certain scenes. For example some some fast arpeggiating strings to convey a babbling stream. Bill’s voice is a good warm if slightly rough baritone, I think it suits the music well. I don’t find any of the melodies particularly memorable and I think there’s oddly a lack of emotional range, that could just be me though. Strong 3

While Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle has some parts of the album I find particularly interesting even for an alt country record, I can't help but find the album too slow paced for me most of the time. I appreciate the good songwriting and creative artistry overall, but this isn't going to do it for me. Not really a fan of the vocals either, but that's more of a personal taste. Not the worst thing I've ever heard.

Boring

meh

I can't really put my finger on why, but I did not like this album.

Maybe Callahan's best album in a career full of great ones, Eagle is both lush and organic. Strings and keys accents the crisp, tender guitars; despite this beautiful layered sound, this is one of the most "outside" albums I've ever heard, with everything sounding natural and fresh. Callahan's barrel-aged baritone narrates long songs that take their time to unfold, sometimes luxuriating in one rhythm and other times slipping into the unexpected. The lyrics combine peaceful thoughts with tales of loss and anxiety. "Eid Ma Clack Shaw" has incredible lyrical depth, and the skipping drums of "All Thoughts are Prey" are a fitting backing to the pained pleas at the end. It wraps up in the gloriously slow "Faith/Void," which highlights the need for simplicity and calm despite the world's confusion. Rarely has such a gifted songwriter put together a set of songs as inviting as this.

This was a great discovery, it is an album which sounds fairly deep and personal and which appears to be very unique in the soundscapes that it presents. 8/10 [KEEP]

Wow! I am definitely here for this!

Nothing wrong with it, he has a nice voice, but this was not for me.

Nada más empezar, creía que estaba escuchando a Kurt Wagner con su banda Lambchop. Pero por mucho que la voz y el estilo de Bill Callahan se parezca a aquel, Bill nos ofrece un viaje por otros derroteros, aunque no puede negar que hay cierta influencia de aquella banda. Catalogar el álbum no es fácil, así que diremos que es un folk-rock o country alternativo, y así no nos pillamos los dedos. El disco se podría haber hecho monótono, pero los buenos arreglos lo hacen mucho más interesante ("The Wind And The Dove" es claro ejemplo). Hay momentos acústicos deliciosos (el comienzo de "My Friend") y experimentos sonoros que para mí, sobran. "Faith/Void" pone el broche final de manera sublime, lo mejor del disco.

Kinda slow kinda boring

Pretty, and easy background music. But not sure I'd gravitate to this myself, although I've no need to skip or change music.

Really pretty rainy day vibes. Poetic and interesting instrumentation. Production quality is top notch, it sounds amazing. It made me feel things

Didn’t care much for this. Sounded to me like he was trying too hard to be Leonard Cohen. Very off-putting, didn’t sound authentic

Never heard this genre of music before. Its kinda got a weird vibe, but its cool to listen to. Some song feel kinda cultish.

Had never heard of this artist, and found this an interesting if melancholic listen.

zzzz

Calling this any type of country seems like a bad call. Interesting and well put together. I enjoyed it, but it’s not quite at that top tier for me

Prime post-Smog Bill. Rich and moody, simple songs enhanced by measured arrangements.

Nice voice

Хто це? Ну таке)))

I loved this album more than I thought I would. Every song is a pleasure to listen to. "Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle" isn't perfect, but it's close. There's one song from this album that I would call perfect, "Eid Ma Clack Shaw". The piano keys make it a classic. 4 stars for "Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle".

Bello

I enjoy Bill Callahan’s musical style but I suspect there are many who would not enjoy it. His songs are more confessional, quiet, and deadpan. I don’t believe I heard a chorus on any song. It’s as though he gloms onto a thought of phrase and repeats it. The songs are a bit odd and abstract, but I do like it.

I wrestled with this album for most of the runtime, trying to decide what I thought of it. It's not quite country, it's more folky and alternative than that... and the production is maybe too clean on it? Musically its beauty is often in its simplicity, despite being a slightly proggy, alternative work. Lyrically I think it suffers from equal parts "trying too hard" and "not trying hard enough", never quite hitting that sweet spot. In spite of these things, I was ready to give this a 4/5, for being pretty good overall... Until the last song. Religious views aside, I've made my stance on long, repetitive songs quite clear, but I'll spell it out: No song should be almost 10 minutes long, unless either there is sufficient variety within it to keep it interesting (like through-composed songs) or the purpose of the song is explicitly to be long and mostly uninteresting (like some ambient/lo-fi instrumental music) This song is neither. It's just long and boring. For the final song alone, this album loses a point. We did not end on a high note with this one.

This is REALLY solid. I love the tracks that feature Callahan's remarkably flat vocals over an incredibly rich composition. The juxtaposition of the two makes for a really rewarding listen. I can imagine a less creative direction wherein a modern stadium country singer croons the same lyrics over the same instrumentals to a much less effective result. Far from a no skips album, but a solid one nonetheless. 4/5

His second album. Folk. Chilled put talky Folk music. Some nice arrangements at times and decent lyrics. A relaxing and thoughtful listen.

Ik heb een zwak voor Bill Callahan

Bill Callahan op de aux is altijd genieten

De meest consistente artiest van een generatie.

Meh

Never heard of this and very intrigued. If I was rating this on the music alone, it might be a 5. Unfortunately, Callahan's talk-singing style is not for me. That being said, this is a super interesting album and I really enjoy the instrumental moments.

Monotone not singing apocalyptic country folk is not my jam, baby. 2⭐️

vaag maar okayish

eh

A very interesting album. The vocals are kinda doing their own thing, in an almost trance like way. It’s so unique and meditative that it’s hard to describe. The music is really well done. I have a hard time telling if I really liked it, or if it was just fine. It was enjoyable, and I don’t think I’ve ever quite heard anything like it.

It’s fine until he starts to speak.

didn't take away a ton from this album. i was hoping for more of a folksy album, but this seemed like a mix between Nick Cave and then depression in the form of Americana.

Really calming and mellow, but the spoken word portions and repetitive lyrics drag this score way down. I read the Wikipedia article, I have no idea how this album had so much fanfare.

A very mellow and chill album. Nothing amazing, but I did enjoy listening to it. A good change of pace on the list.

Not for me

this is what happens when a straight man tries to be sufjan stevens

I really liked Eid Ma Clack Shaw. Smooth.

I was surprised to see that this is a 2009 release, it sounds its about 4 decades too late! Folk/Country/Spoken word. Its interesting how much more I enjoyed this album with each successive listen. I was ready to 2 star this one, but I'm elevating this to a 3. He does have a very beautiful voice!

I remember the first time I heard Bill Callahan, I was working in a little architectural book shop in the city (which is way too niche for the city I live in and so it didn’t last long!) It was from a Smog album called Red Apple Falls, I'd listen to Rock Bottom Riser on repeat and it's still a surprising favourite all these years later! He also sings on one of my favourite songs of all time - Only Skin by Joanna Newsom, chills every time. While he's not a musician I listen to very often, there's just something about his music is really love, and I can't quite put my finger on it. This was the perfect album for sitting the gallery over the weekend, soft, a bit weird, a bit arty, but inoffensive.

Bon et à réécouter!

Not for me

No idea who this is. Really enjoying the opening track from the start. I don’t have a lot to say about this other than I like it. I like his deep voice. Has a Leonard Cohen vibe.

Not the vibe at all

Faith/Void שיר כל כך יפה 3.8 מתוך 5 על האלבום.

Nope. That was awful. Who listens to this drivel?

I quite liked this. A few tracks stood out. Interesting arrangements.

This reminds me of Leonard Cohen. I think it's the deep voice and the speak singing. I don't like Callahan's voice or the lyrics as much though. The music isn't bad as background music.

The production of this album is pretty interesting - Callahan's voice is really up there to the fore. He has a kid of voice that is quite engaing in an almost sprechgesang kind of way, maybe a bit like Leonard Cohen or Lou Reed at times. I'm guessing he feels the lyrics are really worth hearing, but I wonder if they are really that good. Perhaps a bit more attention and repeat plays are needed.

This was....Not For Me.

This is a weird one. The genre says country but thankfully it doesn't sound anything like dipshit music. The music, lyrics and songwriting are way above average and it's an outstanding album, but I'm unlikely to revisit because the vocals are piss poor. Glad to have heard this today and I think it should be on the list. It's not an album I would've found on my own.

kind of lovely indie nonesnse, it feels like somehting alot of people are referencing badly. the sort of talk singing is kind of complelling. feels very townses van zandtsish

This is a truly excellent album that I never heard of. The first recommendation here that is, in my opinion, a direct hit. I love the songs and the performance.

This is a pretty unusual album that I think I would like to come back to. I realized how weird it was during My Friend and realized I wanted to come back during "All Thoughts Are Prey to Some Beast." It's kind of dark and folksy, but with some good drums sometimes. A lot of musical depth for songs that feel like there's no lyrical depth.

Uh oh cowgirls and cowboys and cow people and cows as well AND bulls and non-gender conforming bovine. Have I got everyone? Leave your complaints with me, I'll get around to you. Wear your pin! Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah 2009??? NO. Frequently remembered as the year civilization jumped the shark, 2009 had almost nothing of creative merit (so says my failing brain) but this record's front cover intrigues me. I believe I've heard of this, and if it's weird little indie country, well shucks it might even gain itself a soft spot in my heart. I really need to get that heart softening disease checked out. Alright, this is pretty nice, but the vocals aren't quite there. I wanted this to be more devastating as well. Maybe I'm not listening closely enough. It's kind of hard to not listen as closely as he vocals are FRONT and CENTER. Jesus he is loud. We've got nice melodies, beautiful lyrics, gorgeous string, but man these vocals are not it for me. Ahhh this is a hard one. Oh man. Imagine me wringing my chubby/greasy palms in front of the somehow greasier keyboard, blackened with the memories of years of taquito drippings. Uhhh yeah it's a 4. Great job big Bill. Although, it is I wish I was an Eagles OR I wish we were eagleS! Take that one for free. 3.5-4 HIGHLIGHTS: GO HORSEY GO

One of the more bland albums on this list. Started off ok then went on and on, quite repetitive and the monotonous tone was enough to send me to sleep. Very average.

Don’t know what inspect from this album but was pleasantly surprised. Really enjoyed it will be adding it to my collection.

Just a dude talking his lyrics over Casio-style music playing in the background. And monotonous refrains, particularly the final song. Absolutely no reason for this on the list.

I had a very nice nap to the second half of this album. I did go back listen to it again and it was indeed a very pleasant album, which works as background music or as more focused listening. The orchestration is excellent and really adds to a lot of the songs. I do like his voice, though I understand it may be an acquired taste.

His voice sounded eerily familiar until I read that he was in smog and it clicked. A really nice album that has some great lyrics and interesting delivery (I like the occasional pauses to emphasise certain words). His voice cuts through the mix well where too much additional bass would have muddied things too much and so the acoustic guitar and strings that primarily provide the melodic backbone really fits.

I was surprised by how much I liked this one! Callahan's voice is very soothing, and the whole album feels very honest.

I got bored very quickly. I didn't notice that the songs were changing. When I got to the end, I said "huh, that was it. I thought that was still the very long first song..." Nothing stood out.

Started off ok, then became tedious. For albums that I don't like, I'd like to suggest a replacement. Instead of Sometimes I Wish Were An Eagle, why not Fly Like An Eagle by Steve Miller Band? A egregious omission from this list!

I like the descriptive, reflective lyrics, which he delivers well with his baritone. Somewhat of a Knopfler style, although less musically developed.

No thanks.

Ik heb genoten van dit album. De muziek is mooi en hij bewijst ook dat je geen herrie hoeft te maken om muziek experimenteel te maken. Het is verrassend en het zit heel goed in elkaar. Qua storytelling zit het goed inelkaar. Ik heb gelachen om het nummer Eid Ma Clack Sha. Rococo vond ik erg goed! Het nummer my friend gaat de muziek heerlijk over van die overdreven lage stem naar een muzikaal genotje. Heel erg leuk album

Tess geeft het een 4 misschien wel een 5. Ze kende het niet maar heeft het veel geluisterd dit weekend. Als ze dit in 2009 had ontdekt was het het waarschijnlijk een klassieker voor haar geweest. De vrouw die rococo zingt vindt ze juist leuk. Ik ben het met haar eens.