Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle

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]

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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!

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 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.

Not sure what to think about this one

I kinda liked it kinda didn't. I think I like the actual music and Callahan's voice, gives me kind of The National vibes at times. But it is a bit too spoken word for me and I think that just isn't my jam

There is some incredible songwriting in here. The first song fantastic, but I really convey just how much I hated the second song. Rhythmically, I found it torturous.

Overall, good songs and sounds. The tracks that stuck out were “Jim Cain” and “My Friend.” “My Friend” in particular has a very Smog-ian kick in the middle. As David Berman said, “All my favorite singers couldn’t sing,” so Callahan’s voice is a feature, not a bug for me.

- I'm placing Bill Callahan in the same category as Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, and other singers with distinctive voices and complex lyrics about love and loss and the human experience and whatnot - this isn't the music I typically listen to (my running theory is that everyone is either a music person or a lyrics person; I'm the former), but I'm regarding this album more like a poetry reading set to soft folk guitar and gentle americana sounds - this would scratch the itch for any literary folks who like to read along with the lyrics as they're sung

ok

This guy would be fun to camp with.

Some bits were fun but this felt like a mission to get through

I’m not a hater, but lost the thread after a few songs.

I like this! (I knew I would, based on the description.) How have I never heard of this guy? Got pretty depressing there at the end!

it wasn't bad but it sure as hell wasn't great

Kiva mieslaulajat ja maalaili ja musiikkeja.

quite an interesting listen. a bit different from those mid 70s vibes

Honestly really enjoyed this. Sleeper surprise.

Album No. 0186 on my list. I had never heard of Bill Callahan before (or his album "Sometimes I Wish I Were An Eagle" for that matter), and quite frankly, I have no idea what to make of this album. This is really something unique, unlike anything I've ever heard before. It is classified as Country music on this page, but I think that doesn't really cover it. It's more like progressive contry-folk. The whole thing is certainly very interesting. I like Callahan's voice, and the sound on this is very good as well. I'm not a huge fan of the songs themselves, though - both musically and lyrically. I found most of them lagged a little bit of dynamism and catchiness. Still, pretty good stuff. I'll add "Jim Cain", "Eid Ma Clack Shaw", and "Too Many Birds" to my playlist, because they're pretty representative of the whole album. Maybe this is an album that you should listen to multiple times to really "get" it, so maybe my rating will increase over time. But for now: 3/5 stars.

fine.

Gorgeous, warm instrumentation wrapped around Callahan’s trademark baritone—unfortunately delivered in such a flat, deadpan murmur that it drags the songs down. The arrangements soar, but his monotone vocal style feels more sleepy than soulful. A beautiful album held back by a voice that never quite wakes up.

Like a soft country folksy album. Not too bad.

Bill has a hell of a voice, I can tell you that.

I really enjoyed this in the first half, and while I may have been just tired, it did unfortunately fall off a bit with the last few songs. That said, this is still a very solid album! Bill's voice is very rich and soothing, and complements the Americana style on the album well. Particular highlights were the opening track Jim Cain, and two back to back tracks in the middle, Too Many Birds and My Friend.

That horse's got some real baritone chops 🐴 It's not bad, in fact I quite enjoyed the instrumental parts! It reminded me a bit of Fleet Foxes in the way his words and soundscapes evoke nature. Very serene for the most part. Standouts: Too Many Birds • Faith/Void

Kinda reminded me of Silver Jews, but a little more experimental. I will have to reserve a little judgement since I think this one is a relistener. Pretty good though. The way he says “My friend” on My Friend…ugh!!

I quite enjoyed this one although can’t really say why. There was something familiar in the tone and spoken word style of singing - perhaps I was primed by Tom Waits 2 weeks ago. 3/5

Aivan mukavaa puhelaulantaa, osa biiseistä oli kovin hämäriä, osa taas ihan perus folkahtavaa rokkia, tai mitä ikinä. Tuskin tulee uudestaan kuunteluun, mutta oli mukavan erilaista vaihteeksi.

One of the few country albums that left me with a good impression 3/5

6/10

Better than I expected

I really wanted to dislike this whole thing… but I don’t.. just his voice and that weird second to last track.

I have no idea who Bill Callahan is, even though he's been in the industry for almost forty years, but on this album, at least, he reminded me of both Leonard Cohen and The National. The former has a "reading a poem to music" style, while the latter features rich arrangements featuring strings and keyboards. The mood of the songs is sometimes light, sometimes dark, and sometimes the lyrics are dissonant with the music; everything is in keeping with the genre's canons. It's a decent, laid-back album, but I won't be adding it to my library. Perhaps to truly resonate with this kind of music, you have to live in the American Midwest, although it was pleasant to listen to even with a snow globe outside.

This isn't usually the type of album I throw on, but I quite enjoyed listening through whilst I worked. It's soft and calming, with a slight folky vibe. It's an album I will definitely listen to again

Annie and I agreed, 3/5 for Mr.Rogers doom country folk extravaganza

Never listened. Expectations: None - Verdict: Very Good - I really like his voice. The simplicity and directness of the songs combines with a sort of cinematic feel that is really interesting. All Thoughts Are Prey To Some Beast is a highlight. Really cool record that I had never come across before.

3.4 For some reason quite tough to get through. I enjoyed some tracks. The opener and All Thoughts Are Prey... we're quite lovely. On the whole though it kind of dragged, the High Fidelity line of "old sad bastard music" sprang to mind I'm afraid. Not bad though, just not great.

I don't like slow, and I don't like country. But put the two together and...I'm still not a fan. This seemed well constructed, and doesn't grate on me. But it is dull. I gave it an extra star because it's one of the few things country-like that I was able to listen through without pain.

No. 363/1001 Jim Cain 4/5 Eid Ma Clack Shaw 3/5 The Wind and The Dove 3/5 Rococo Zephyr 3/5 Too Many Birds 3/5 My Friend 3/5 All Thoughts Are Prey 2/5 Invocation of Ratiocination 2/5 Faith/Void 3/5 (2x) Average: 2,9 Nothing offensive. But got pretty boring towards the end.

Not sure if I enjoyed that or not. Pretty strange artist/album.

A 2009 album from an artist that I hadn’t previously heard of, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. It’s described as alt-country, which doesn’t feel quite right. His voice sounds a little like Leonard Cohen, but he’s accompanied by some nice strings that put me in mind of 70s style Glenn Campbell. Other tracks add some interesting bass lines and vaguely middle eastern sounding orchestration - perfectly pleasant listening, but nothing to frighten the metaphorical horses. Lyrically, he’s in similar territory to Leonard Cohen but I’m not sure if the latter ever sang a song about death from the perspective of a horse though. I’m feeling charitable, so I’ll give this three stars but I think I might have preferred it if this was just him and a guitar in a more minimal arrangement.

ok

I… think I enjoyed this one?

Rare to hear someone perform in a spoken word style and think, “This guy has a great voice.” But Bill Callahan has a very nice voice. I find it interesting that he’s not singing in the traditional sense, because I suspect he’d be very good at it. At the very least, he’d probably make a nice audiobook narrator. The other day I wrote that Dion’s music sounded like a canvas for his vocals. Here the music sounds like a canvas for the songwriting. I tend not to gravitate toward this sort of writerly songwriter style though (see also: Leonard Cohen). I didn’t connect with the lyrics here, but I found the music calming.

It's pretty, I enjoyed it quite a bit, but I can't say it fully grabbed me!

Starts off strong, but gets more boring the longer it goes on. Reminds me a lot of Nick Drake, but less depressing. Fine to listen to once, but not a second time. 6 / 10

Very mellow. Maybe too mellow sometimes? 8th track shouldn't be included. 3.5

6.0/10 Liked the vibe of the songs but not a fan of his singing/talking style

Es un álbum dulce. Aunque monótono.

Really enjoy his voice. The songs don't really stick with me but the music and vocals are calm and make a nice big blanket

Soft lush-folk tracks, philosophical lyrics, singing that is half-speaking... this didn't grab my heart or my attention, but it is interesting stuff. Worth returning to.

American singer songwriter, never heard off the bloke before, but so far it's quite a pleasant listen.

Started strong, then downhill

Alussa olin positiivisesti yllättynyt miten kivalta kuulostaa, mutta sitten kun päästiin pitemmälle niin lähti kyllä toistamaan itteään hyvin vahvasti ja kaikkien biisien idea oli aivan copy pastea. Mutta fiilistelystä kolmonen

Interesting

Terrible album cover. Pretty solid album though, I like his voice - really reminds of Afie aka Bahamas. A couple good tracks like Jim Cain, Eid Ma Clack Shaw, Rococo Zephy, Too Many Birds, but overall a little boring and don't think I'd go back to it. 3.25

3.5⭐️/5 01.25.2026

Consider me whelmed. Didn't really do much for me tbh, it went by well enough but nothing stood out. Also Callahan's voice was a bit hard to get behind.

Stand-out tracks: Jim Cain - really nice, promising start Eid Ma Clack Shaw - a strong feeling of tension contrasted with literal gibberish lyrics at the end, very peculiar The Wind and The Dove - the occassional oriental sounds are a real surprise on this one My Friend Started off as a soothing album, both the instrumental side and especially the vocals, but as it progressed certain tracks had darker/reflective themes in their melodies and lyrics. It got quite experimental by the end. I like how varied the instrumentals are and they don't necessarily "scream" the country sounds I expected. Despite the praises, some tracks do feel a bit drawn out and the instrumentals get a bit stale at times (especially towards the end of the album). It honestly had a promising start, but left me confused by the end at what it wants to actually be musically.

Highlights: Eid Ma Clack Shaw, Too Many Birds For the majority of the record, the vocals follow a certain template. Kinda gets monotone, but some songs have scarce lyrics and long instrumental parts which make them interesting. First half was noticeably stronger than the closing half. Definitely not something I will give another listen in its entirety, but it wasn't bad. Just a bit too artsy and mysterious for my taste. Also, too many birds.

Very nice music, a silky voice, some borderline lyricism (your partner is a tree?). Some stuff i recognised and liked, what was new to me i found myself on the fence on. 3.0/5.0 Best Song: Eid Ma Clack Shaw

Tres doux, un mix de country et de folk avec beaucoup de guitares-voix! Très bel album

A little slow but the instrumentals are dreamy and pleasing. Each song has a different primary instrument which makes it a nice listen. Meadow music.

I don’t get it. Not gonna slander it, but definitely not for me.

On a cloudy winter's day, this is like the current a gently flowing river. Instrumentals that gently guide you along, nothing too harsh. Could have used a gentler voice with more pointed singing. The headphones/Apple Music album I was listening on made the voice way too loud so it felt improperly mixed. "Too Many Birds" was an interesting one, and I liked "My Friend."

It’s ok

well it's alright

Interesting voice

Album #1,010 Spoken word singing style over some nice lush instrumentation. He really wants everyone to put God away. That’s my takeaway. Lure people in with some pretty songs and then says let’s all be atheists. Well, I already am one, and even I don’t want to hear him preaching it over and over.

Just not my speed

It's like The National if they didn't try as hard.

was not expecting to like this but I did. minus 1 star because I’m tired and this didn’t help

Pretty good, just not my thing and a bit monotonous.

Not my vibe but I won’t take away stars because it’s not my taste.

I fail to see its significance

kinda gave me bon iver vibes

6/10 - not bad, not particularly memorable but good to have playing on the radio

Not really my style of prefers music, but I like to keep discovering new music even if I do t really resonate with it.

I actually stumbled across this album a month or so ago and was surprised to see it pop up on this list. It's not a bad album by any measure, but I'm not sure what makes it so exceptional either. Bill Callahan's music is best enjoyed alone, preferably in the chill of fall or winter. It's isolating in a really haunting and sometimes depressing kind of way, but I still find myself digging it. Sometimes, I also wish I were an eagle.

Landlord: Dude, you are such a goated tenant. Bill: Yo, thanks beast. Landlord: I'm lowering your rent because you are such a chiller. Bill: Dude, fuck yeah. Bill: By the way, there's a ton of mold underneath the sink in the kitchen.

Good music, but his voice gets old after like 2 songs

Another one of those half singing half talking albums, but there were at least enough interestingly written songs to keep my attention

Why would you put horses on the cover if you wish you were an eagle? Is this from the eagle’s perspective? Pretty sure eagles don’t have grainy ass vision

Really good stuff. I'm not sure I'm scrambling to give it a re-listen, but I may eventually

He sounds like Leonard Cohen if he didn't cover Hallelujah and he had more expansive sound in general.

This was surprisingly good. I wasn't expecting much after seeing the cover. I particularly enjoyed Eid Ma Clack Shaw, and loved the reverence with which he sang the nonsense he had dreamed.

Very pleasant, slight country twang but a bit Alexi Murdoch

This didn’t really blow my mind or anything, but I happened to listen to it on a day when I was feeling really sad and vulnerable and in this context it kind of hit the spot ❤️‍🩹

6/10

An easy and chill listen for a Sunday.

I feel like I should've disliked this more, given the singer's Shatner-esque vocals. But for some reason, it was kind of pleasant. The easy, smooth guitar melodies kept this as a 3.

I'm not sure this is the bomb, but it's certainly the balm to my raw ears after Megadeath. Good but nothing really special. Way too many hoky nature references. The guy sure likes his birds and trees.

I do like much of the album but I don’t understand why his voice is always separate sonically from the music. It irritates me where someone else who speak sings a lot like Howe Gelb does not because the music feels just as important but not with Callahan.

I didn’t expect much based on the country genre and the horses-in-a-field album cover, but I was pleasantly surprised. it’s pretty good

First couple tracks were so slow and the monotone singing wasnt doing it for me but as it went on the tempo increased and I liked it more

Fave track: Faith/void Idgaf if you think the lyrics are repetitive IT'S TIME TO PUT GOD AWAY‼️‼️🗣🗣🔥🔥

I like this. It’s mostly the lyrics/vocals that turn me away from country/folk music, but if they focus on atmosphere instead, sometimes it sounds quite nice. This is one of these examples. It’s nice, enjoyable, well-produced background music with a pleasant atmosphere that doesn’t put vocals on the forefront, which I personally enjoy. 7/10

Gelukkig zit er een hoop verschil op deze lijst, want nog een grindcore album had ik niet getrokken. Dit is denk ik de grootste tegenstelling die ik had kunnen hebben en eigenlijk ook iets meer de vibe die ik nu wil. De zanger of eigenlijk de muziek an sich doet me nogal denken aan Leonard Cohen in dat het muzikaal vrijwel minimaal is. Een gitaar, soms een piano, heeeeel soms een drummer met een klein tikje hier en daar. Het is allemaal minimaal, de cover verteld eigenlijk al alles over de vibe van dit album en dat is ook prima. Ik trek het best ok, maar om nou te zeggen dat Bill me omver blaast? Mwah, het is prima, ik ben blij met een lekker achtergrond albumpje maar denk niet dat ik dit snel nog eens aan zet of dat er mensen zijn die dit album meteen moeten aanzetten. Het voelt als een album dat ergens in een kledingwinkel aan staat. Niet een hele hippe kledingwinkel. Of misschien een koffietentje ofzo. FAVO: Eid Ma Clack Shaw, Too many birds

Loved the music, was only so-so on the monotonous vocals. The type of album that's right in my wheelhouse and that I might appreciate a lot more on a return visit. On a first listen it was a little bit sleepy. I'd go 3.5 if I could.

It was nice to listen to but not something I would return again for a long time.

Enjoyable for me as a background album. A few standouts

Old man bill. Even when he was young he was old

It was pretty chill and dreamy.

I had never heard of Bill Callahan and, when the album started, decided I wasn’t going to like him either. So nobody was anymore surprised than me at how much I enjoyed this, in particular, “Eid Ma Clack Shaw” and “All Thoughts Are Prey to Some Beast”. Large parts of the rest of it were pleasant to have on as background music. He falls into the trap of having a 10min song that sounds the same at the end, which is so unnecessary, but - generally - this was quite an enjoyable experience for me.

Haven't heard of this guy, but it's fairly inoffensive easy listening.

Helt ok, ikke helt min greie da.

God hard rock. 3 men høres nok ikke igjen så mange ganger .

This one really depends on mood. Very melancholy, but lyrically solid and music is OK.

I really enjoy the instrumentation on this album. The vocals are a bit repetitive at times though, like on Faith/Void and Too Many Birds.

Despite the rating (I am trying to be a more discerning critic, somewhat unsuccessfully) I found the album really fascinating. It has a bit of Jonathan Richman to it, but with a more country flair. I thoroughly enjoyed the music, even if I don’t think it has the technical or historical chops to award a higher rating.

Sorta Nick Cave coded but with nicer actual lyrics. I like Zephyr and Birds.

I'm very conflicted about this so much of it I like but also find a lot kinda boring. Could see it being a grower

Easy listening, acoustic indie. American west vibes.

Some nice poetic writing. I'm not sure what I would classify this as. Its well written, kinda sad, introspective, and a little weird. The Wind and The Dove sounds like something from a Pharaoh's tomb. Its mostly okay, a lot of it just kinda phased through me but the stuff I really paid attention to was nice.

After the first track, I started writing this review because I thought it was all going to be samey: "This album is proof that you can accomplish anything if you try. Because this guy must have demoed this album, a producer actually said "yeah, you know what, I'll do it," and they actually published it." But then I got to "The Wind and the Dove" and was actually a little impressed. I'm not a fan of the half-singing, half-speaking style, but the instrumental arrangements are nice. Not a complete flop.

Eh, pretty lack luster but an album I'd probably listen to again if given the chance.

This record feels like walking through a quiet landscape at dusk — beautifully arranged, deliberate, and heavy with mood. The instrumentation is rich and restrained, the kind of understated sophistication that draws you in without showing off. But while I really appreciate the atmosphere and the songwriting, Callahan’s voice never quite lands for me. It’s more spoken word than sung, which keeps me at a distance emotionally even as I admire the craft. I’m glad I spent time with it — there’s something undeniably artful here — but it’s more a record I respect than one I feel.

This was weird and i liked it. High three!

Nice. Pleasant listening.

Kende eigenlijk alleen het prachtige 'Too Many Birds', wat gek genoeg geen reden was om de rest van het album te checken. Introspectieve en introverte folk-muziek, wat soms een beetje ongemakkelijk klinkt. Het album wandelt op een koord tussen waanzinnig breekbaar en bijzonder innig, en in mijn ogen is het net zo vaak raak als dat ik het té melodramatisch vind. De sterke momenten zijn wel echt bijzonder, en klinken erg organisch, waardoor ik toch een ruime voldoende geef. 7/10 Highlights: The Wind and the Dove Too Many Birds My Friend

Gezien de reviews kon dit twee kanten op. Meerderen maakten er een einde aan na het eerste nummer, anderen gaven uit het niets 5 sterren. Bij mij valt Bill Callahan toch wel weer goed moet ik zeggen. Zijn zang is zacht ingezongen maar in de productie juist heel krachtig en duidelijk gemaakt. Dat komt wel binnen. Ik heb vaak een allergie gemaakt voor dit soort artiesten die dan met enkel een gitaar of piano de nummers bezingen. De tracks van Callahan zijn volledig. Met drum, bass en strijkers (!). Het klinkt daardoor een stuk symfonischer en blijkt daardoor veel langer interessant. 7/10

Good but I found it difficult to fully digest. Part of it was me distracted so maybe worth another shot

Pretty good

3/5

Back in the Stone Ages, co-workers and I used to exchange new music we had heard. We did it every Friday and one time a co-worker gave me this album to listen to. I feel pretty much the same now as I did back then. It's pretty good and the musicality is really pretty. The songs as a whole are too low key and the speak-singing thing is just not something I can get through on an entire album. Maybe it's me. I'm the problem. One of the reviews from someone on this site said in his/her review none of the songs "overstay their welcome." There's an almost 10 minute song on here that pretty much only has the lyrics, It's time to put God away, I put God away. I don't know if it overstayed its welcome but that is a long song with not a lot of meat on the lyrical bone. Bill Callahan has a sort of droning voice but it never becomes annoying. The question I have, that I always seem to pose, is why this album is in the book? I guess I am missing the genre not in this book this album represents and creates the need for it to be heard. A case of music that I didn't dislike but not something I would come back to. Jim Cain

Very slow acoustic country. It isn't bad, just too slow to want to listen to it in the future. Bill has a great voice but it wasn't really used for anything interesting, it's not emotionless though. Mastering is really good, in Eid Ma Clack Shaw you can feel the air pressure due to the rumbling of the bass drum on the right side.

Nice attempt to make something between beautiful and interesting. But it's not that interesting though. I liked it, but the songs tend to feel long, losing their charm at the end. I would say it's more of Americana, country-folk than country itself, but it combines nicely different sounds, yet sometimes this album becomes monotonous. It's a different take into country (or folk, I would say), which makes it interesting at parts. It's just not that memorable to make me love it.

Similar to many Smog/Bill Callahan albums, I liked it but not every song and don’t feel like I need to acquire more. That sounds maybe too negative since I enjoyed the experience.

3/5 - I don’t that I needed to hear this album today, but I might need to hear it again sometime in the future. The instrumental aspects of this are pretty enjoyable, but his vocal delivery put me off. I could see this growing on me if I let it.

After hearing the first song I immediately thought this was going to be another Giant Sand sounding indie band. I enjoyed the album and found myself singing along to a couple songs. Favorite songs: My Friend, Faith/Void

6/10 I really liked the tone of this album. It was musically interesting, there was some really nice arrangements among the instrumentation and I enjoyed the subtle delivery of Bill’s vocal. I also appreciate the fact that he does often stray away from the verse/chorus/verse structure, which adds an interesting twist to songs like these and makes things a bit less predictable. When all that came together, there were some really special moments, but I also found there were times when things just meandered a little too much away from the thrust of the track and kind of got lost to introspection. There were bits of tracks where I was just begging for things to be a tiny bit better organised, such as some of the drumming performances, which were just a little too sharp against the rest of the song, or when a sequence repeated for a little longer than it needed to, which was a shame, because often things were so close to being fantastic. To my mind, this is somewhat of a melancholic wash of an album that, were I walking in the rain and having a difficult time of things, it would feel like the warm hug of someone sharing my pain. Perhaps this is one of those ‘right time, right place’ releases that I’m not quite in the right mental place to truly embrace. But regardless of that, it was an enjoyable listen and may well be one that I make my way back to again in future. Jim Cain - This is quite pretty. The shimmering guitar that drifts between the foreground and background is particularly nice. There’s not much to the composition, but the accompanying instruments add some great depth to and variety to the different sections. It’s calm and fairly subtle, but it’s great. Eid Ma Clack Shaw - There are elements of this that are decent, particularly some of the string parts, but the staccato rhythm that persists through the whole track is just a bit relentless and tiring on the ear. His voice is obviously of a certain type, but it feels weaker here than in the first track too. The Wind and The Dove - This is better again. The cliche ‘Arabian music’ in the intro is a bit of a strange addition, especially as it just stops about 30 seconds in and only returns in the final 30 seconds. The modulation between a slightly threatening minor tonality in the verses to an almost melancholic major key in the chorus is really nice. Rococo Zephyr - There are some really nice moments in this, but I feel some of the sections are a bit to repetitive and the drum mix is a bit too sharp and aggressive and takes away a little from the rest of the chill nature of the track. It’s a decent track, but it just doesn’t quite come together as nicely as some of the others. Too Many Birds - There’s something quite bleak about the lyrics to this. It’s got a nice little rhythmic lilt to it, although I again feel like the drums were a little overplayed in a couple of places. It’s got a fairly bittersweet sound to the composition with some quite uplifting motifs in the instrumentation offset by a quite melancholic performance in the vocal, which I quite like. My Friend - There’s a really interesting transition into a dark passage at about 50 seconds which is great. And then it works its way out into something more upbeat quite subtly. Earlier in the track, the drums feel too sharp on the attack again, but the rest of the track does sort of catch up to them as it progresses. It’s not my favourite on the album, but I quite like the structure of the composition. All Thoughts Are Prey To Some Beast - There’s a slow build to this is the instrumentation becomes more dense. The brass has a really nice tone. Again, there are some bits of this that I really like, but it feels a little like it doesn’t quite come together in a completely satisfactory way and the the core motifs are just a bit too repetitive. Invocation of Ratiocination - I think this refers back to some of Bill’s earlier experimental lo-fi work. It’s quite a nice sound wash, but doesn’t offer much development. Faith/Void - This is really good. Some of the subtle playing in there, like the electric piano, and some of the guitar flourishes, are quality. But by god does it drone on too much. I agree we should put god away, but I’m not sure I need to hear him sing it that many times. This could have been a really good 4 minute song, but it’s nearly 10 minutes long. I have no problem with long songs, but they need to offer a bit more than this.

I never heard of Bill Callan but I didnt have a bad time listening to this album. I am not a country music person per se but I found it comforting. However, I would not see myself replaying this album as it does not pertain to my taste or vibe.

I get it. It's not for me, but I get it.

This probably wouldn’t have been a normal list for me but today I think I needed this album. There was a mellowness to the entire thing that was very centering. I know I had heard Bill Callaghan on something, I think it might’ve been the Serendipity Soundtrack. Overall, I think I could listen to this one again. He has a voice reminiscent of Leonard Cohen, but less avant guard. Key song was or My Friend, Faith/Void hit a little close recently for me. Long story for another day…..

Random thoughts: * I am familiar with Bill Callahan and really dig this guy's stuff. * His voice is amazing and distinctive, so listening to more of his music is a treat. * "Faith/Void" really stuck with me after listening to this one. * "Eid Ma Clack Shaw" was a standout track too. * I'll listen to this one a few more times and let it grow on me.

Kelpo moderni kantri/folk-levy. Itselle ollut tutumpaa Callahanin modernimpi tuotanto, mutta hyvää settiä selvästi täällä uran alkupuolellakin. 3.5/5

Was not expecting this. Didn't long the sing-talking, but the arrangements were great. 3/5

My first review! I enjoyed this album. I liked the talk-singing style of the vocals. Bill's voice reminded me of the band Friendship. The album had a quirky, eccentric quality that made it a fun listen. 7/10.

6.5/10 i did reslly emjoy this album even though I'm giving this 3 stars. Very comforting and warm sound, made me feel cozy, Bill's voice feels like a musical sound hug embracing you lol. There wasn't anything too crazy here though. The 2nd last song did not do this album any favors, don't know what was up with those weird vocals, but it got a skip on my 2nd listen through.

Quite a find! Nice Album that led me to Vic Chesnutt, who I might like even more.

This album is full of immaculate and captivating instrumental arrangements. The vocal performance takes some getting used to though - the first verse of the first song was pretty tough, and I wasn’t sure I was going to make it through the whole album. Once I adapted to Bill’s spoken word singing style, I found this to be a rewarding listen. Maybe the subject matter is too bleak for any of these songs to cross into the mainstream, but I’d be curious to hear these instrumentals in the hands of other vocalists. Like, “Faith/Void” sung by Orville Peck?! Hey, it’s the right time to start thinking about a 20th Anniversary project!

Another one of those albums that’s difficult to rate. There’s a couple of songs that I really like (My Friend and Faith/Void), but the album as a whole seems just ok.

Low key indie. Pleasant.

Solid mellow album

I had low expectations going in, but that was pretty enjoyable.

Just another ex-1001 album!™ http://1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie.wikidot.com/album-artists-a-z-ex Funny reading all the other reviews that are trying to define what genre it belongs to... apocalyptic folk is my favourite.

Didn’t like this from the start but started to pick up around “My Friend.” Enjoyed the last four songs and use of dissonance.

Sympa, mais soporifique. A noter pour se calmer en cas d'angoisse - mais le côté ennuyeux risque de m'agacer. Idéal pour s'endormir, par contre (mais sans rêve)

Пару разів в житті намагався слухати Біла Келагана, не моє. Хоча я розумію що музика доволі нетрівіальна.

Was guessing this would be generic C&W from the artist name and title - was completely wrong. Enjoyed 3.5 stars

I fully expected this to be an alt-country album, however it was not even remotely close to that. Dude has no range, some of the songs are nice, decent lyrics, can’t tell if it’s supposed to be deep or just about birds and trees. Not sure when I’d listen to this again, but something new I’d never think to listen to prior to this list. Just wondering why this album was picked above so many other modern albums.

2.5

I feel like I might like this if I was in a certain mood, but it did not fit the vibe for the day.

At first I was like “lol, no”. It just reminds me of some celebrity who was like I’m going to make an album and then they put no effort into the vocals. But then when he gets a little melodic I think his singing voice would be really nice. Kind of wish we got that. With all that, I kind of like it. I initially gave it a 2 but then bumped it up.

Mildly enjoyable acoustic indie.

There were some really interesting moments and then some duller moments. All in all it was good but not great.

Overall this album is fine. But it’s pretty monotone.

I didn't really know what to expect from this, I'd never heard of Bill Callahan before this album appeared in my feed. Country and the like aren't really my thing (but there's enough about it for me to include it in my likes here), but this is actually very listenable and warm and rewarding. Very nice.

He likes birds this guy

This album is really pleasant but I just find to be such a slog to listen through. The laid back instrumentation and spoken word vocals are nice but they make everything drag. Fav tracks - Jim Cain - Rococo Zephyr - All Thoughts Are Prey To Some Beast

I enjoyed this, but I didn't find it revelatory.

5/10

I like Bill as a lyricist, and I love his work with Smog. His solo stuff is hit or miss for me. Sometimes it's beautiful and relaxing, sometimes it's long and boring. This went between the two.

I wonder who "We" is in the album title. I like to think he means everyone. Instead of all humans he wishes we were just one sweet eagle. That would probably be better for earth. Bill Calahan is a LOT like Andrew Bird, who I like a lot. "Eid Ma Clack Shaw" is a very Bird sounding song. I like it a lot. The rest of the songs blended together, but were mostly nice. I enjoyed it, but didn't love it. It was very peaceful, but a little long. I like the multi-instrumentalism throughout. 6/10

A soothing, rich barritone voice and undemanding listen.

Voice is good but needs training; music is fine. 2.5

I'm not against talk-singing, but this just doesn't work for me. Music is decent.

I appreciate the use of nature imagery, it’s something that’s been on the way out in modern songwriting for a long time. Production really captures a modern lonely prairie feeling quite nicely.

Modern American classic, epitomizes the vibe of the American west. 3.5

sometimes we wish I was an eagle too, bill

Det finns så många av den här typen av singer/songwriter/"americana"-album. Men Bill Callahan har en röst och frasering som sticker ut. Dessutom en historieberättare. Produktionen för låtarna framåt. Men det blir inte mer än småtrevligt i längden.

This was an interesting one. It took me a few minutes to get used to him mostly speaking instead of singing. I liked that I could understand everything he was saying and I liked the lyrics. None of the songs particularly stood out to me and I don't think I'd listen to it again, but I am glad I listened to it.

6/10

2.78

Is it my favourite Smogahan album? No. Is it a good Smogahan album? Absolutely. Mid 3s.

It's was pretty good kinda slow. A solid album, but I won't listen again.

Interesting

An interesting folk album, but it's a bit boring. I can't go see myself listening to this. I already forgot I listened to it yesterday.

third album so far of a white guy talking over a guitar. If I have to hear it again, I'd prefer it be Johnny Cash.

I tried listening to this at the start of the day but I couldn't connect. Listening to it now, in a foggy afternoon on a Monday, this is perfect. It forced me to slow down and reflect on what I was doing. Great album. Fav song: Rococo Zephyr

Beautiful music, only moderate voice

ovo u stvari nije tako loše? iako nije za mene. čudno

A little hard to get past the slow talking vocals. Very mellow

Sometimes, a little too sterile sounding. But there were still some very pretty songs and moments.

A surprising album! Very down to earth and simple. The musicality never gets too indulgent or overly clever. 3.5/5

First of all, I wouldn't catalogue this as a Country album. Many reviews and even some websites, such as RateYourMusic or AlbumOfTheYear, already pointed this out, so I should also take my part on spreading the word. This album reminds me a lot to Silver Jews. It is very peaceful and very relaxing. The instrumentation is gorgeous, but the vocals feel very stale for me. It can feel monotonous at times, as the singing it is closer to be spoken words rather than actual singing. And this is a huge factor, since it makes the record a bit tedious for me. I do also want to stand out that, in spite of saying some positive things about the instrumentation, I do think that it doesn't do good enough to grab my attention, which is focused in the vocals. At the end, in the three times I had listened to this album, I am always left without any type of strong emotion or even interest in coming back, but I won't say it is a bad album.

requires a certain mood, which I was not in.

3/5

Нормальный альбом, интересный голос и звуки, но как-то прошёл фоном

Decent

Imagine if the singer of CAKE made a more reflective album. The singer’s vocal range was frustrating. I wanted to have a bit more emotion in his singing, but his vocal style prohibited that. The songs were a bit repetitive, almost mantra-like (“Faith/Void”). I did like the starkness, I thought that was effective. I was just… expecting more. Top tracks: “All Thoughts Are Prey To Some Beast,” “My Friend “

Beautiful musical arrangements, terrible voice. Bill Callahan's bland, monotone voice kills the mood. Also, who the heck is Bill Callahan and why does he get a spot on the 1,001 list? Beautiful sounds and solid lyrics save this album from a worse rating.

Not bad for what it is, but I thought it was a bit too lightweight to be great slowcore and a bit too linear to be great americana.

It's a good modern folk album, but I don't see why it should be here.

Cool americana/chamber folk album. I won't come back to this album, but I appreciated the smooth melancholic vibes it have.

I will always love you 😊 m̷͎̓y̴̥̝̓͜ ̷̢̮͐f̷̗̹́ŗ̶̰͙̊i̸̫͙͕̅̑̽e̴̹̲̎͂̚n̵̓͑͜d̵̢̿̊͗ 👹

In this realm of music, I don’t think Bill Callahan is the greatest. I think the instrumentation of many of the songs is beautiful, while remaining quite simple, but I wish it did more at times. The drums especially. I think it’s nice go find a singer who’s good without really singing ? He talks musically. I think Apocalypse is a better album.

I really have trouble taking the "why do straight guys get so bloody pressed" aahh voice seriously (especially when he is literally speak-singing gibberish or repeatedly saying the same phrase over and over) but it's fine I guess. Another one I have listened to in the past and been very lukewarm on. Fav song: Too Many Birds

Kinda like a modern Leonard Cohen, fine

I really should like this, but I just don’t.

Actually enjoyed this one. Had to look up what genre is was - alt country - didn’t really give me that vibe but it was a nice break in styles. Not sure I’d go back to it but still a nice album during my road trip.

Curious songs about enigmatic things sung in a surprising voice by a languid man and his friends. The musical equivalent of Marmite - good once in a while, fills a hole you didn’t know you had, checks the ‘try new things box’ nicely

If there is a time when I want to listen to something and I don’t know what it is, it will be this album. Enough here to keep me coming back although not 100% convinced. It definitely scratches an itch or fills Mike’s hole.

I have never heard of this artist before. His voice is soothing while his lyrics are absolutely not. I saw it was categorized as country, but it would fit better in a dad-rock/existential crisis category. I am also a child of "linger on" and I feel the Lou Reed influence here. "I put God away" is a wild way to end... Not sure if I am adding any of these to my personal playlist - I wouldn't want to drive off a bridge - but I was glad to have listened to it.

This was beautiful to listen to. The tone of Callahan's voice, the guitars, the lyricism. I don't know what it is but his music feels very nostalgic to me. I can see myself listening to something like this while stuck inside on a rainy day, even if it's not a genre I usually gravitate towards.

Huge fan of Smog but this album not as much. It’s a bit too sedate for me, with few punchier songs you’ll find on Smog releases.

It's fine. Last song dragged a bit...

i liked it!

It may be a super poetic album that I am missing the point of and I absolutely NEED to give it another shot and fully tune in this time, but it wasn't my style, it felt like every song was very similar, Callahan sings in the same monotone voice throughout the album, and the lyrics are repetitive. But for what it's worth I enjoyed it for some good parts

Undeniably monotonous, but not in annoying way. It's kind of nice. I liked it when he tried to sing once or twice

Interesting voice, some interesting lyrics but overall pretty weak

Better than expected horse album.

Niby spoko i chill. Ale jednak dość monotonny

You have to get used to the slow pace of the songs. It's not rock or pop, or even folk music. It's more like an updated version of Leonard Cohen. Once I adjusted to the rhythms of each track, I found it worthwhile.

Härligt sound, och känns unikt inom sin genre, men inte heller nåt som sticker ut. Hamnar i samma fack som Folklore/Evermore, toppen att ha på som chill i bakgrunden men inte så mycket mer.

Earnest folksy country, almost spoken word poetry put to music

The Last Of Us kind of music, not a huge fan of country music but it was clearly enjoyable and Bill has such a great voice and what a cool album name.

This album mostly highlights to me how rare it must be to be the whole package. The music and lyrics are gorgeous, but the vocals just bring it down a notch.

Decent listen.

Calming

it's not for me. I know Bill Callahan from the Smog Days and his quarantine collab with Will Oldham. I like him OK, but something about his voice/persona and the songwritng, while it is so so close to so many other artists I enjoy, it constantly sits just to the left of something I would ever actually want to listen to. ah well. close but no cigar.

Very mellow

OK with a Sunday morning hangover.

Ça, ça serait facilement tombé dans la catégorie “musique de chigneux”, mais quand je l’ai écouté, j’étais un peu style chigneux moi-même, donc ça passe

As far as country, singer-songwriter, or whatever you want to call this genre goes, this one is okay. If you look at my project summary my lowest rated genres are country, singer-songwriter, and folk so this album is not for me, and there was a very slim chance I would actually enjoy it. All-in-all this album is fine, I think the instrumentation is good, but the singing is overall pretty bad. Pretty bland inoffensive Americana album, I'll forget about this one pretty fast. Low 3.

Not bad but a little sleepy. Okay for the background.

I disliked this, but that seems like a failing of mine

3/5

Not my genre at all, still this lp has some decent tunes

Interesting. Moody and esoteric. Feels like a weird poetry reading where your closeted uncle Theo was dared to get on stage after eating too many gummies.

No lo conocía y creo que no lo he escuchado nunca. Empieza muy bien. Me he guardado un par (Jim Cain y Too many birds) y seguramente vuelva a escucharlo más veces.

This totally reminded me of the Leonard Nimoy album I had as a kid. It is in the proud tradition of people who can’t really sing but you can’t stop listening to like Leonard Cohen.

5/10

De hoes ziet er nogal tijdloos uit, en de muziek is dat tot op zekere hoogte ook. Een singersongwriter met een diepe stem, maar woordkeuze en thematiek verraden dat dit niet uit de jaren zestig of zeventig is. Muzikaal zit het op zich wel snor, maar het valt wel erg in herhaling. Het laatste nummer is zelfs het ultieme 'zet je cd-speler uit!'-lied. Puntje aftrek daarvoor.

2009? Ik heb het idee dat Bill Callahan een paar decennia te laat is geboren. Het valt meer in het hokje singer-songwriter, wel met een eigen twist er aan. Al zijn er wel meer geweest, die met een karakteristieke stem, op hun eigen toonhoogte (net niet helemaal in lijn met de rest vd muziek), op een bepaalde manier emotieloos, en dan toch kleur geven aan de muziek. Denk aan Leonard Cohen. Het is zeker knap gedaan en er is publiek voor. Ik hoor daar alleen niet helemaal bij. Net als Nick Drake, het pakt me niet. In ieder geval niet op een standaard maandagochtend. Het moet denk ik bij je binnenkomen, of je moet het toelaten dat het binnenkomt. Omdat een van mijn muzikale maten het bijzonder "mooi" vond, geef ik het de volgende ochtend opnieuw een kans. Ik begin het beter te begrijpen. Het heeft iets bezwerends. Als de zanger van the Editors, maar dan zonder de bombast van rockmuziek, uitgekleed, versierd met wat strijkers, zodat het beter binnenkomt. Het is nog steeds niet helemaal mijn stijl, maar het groeit wel. Qua beoordeling vind ik het wel lastig. Ergens tussen een 3 en een 4 in. Ik zou kunnen pleasen en een 4 geven, maar als ik dit nooit meer zou horen, zou ik het geen moment missen. Dus dat beschrijft eigenlijk meer een 3. Wat ik gisteren ook had willen geven.

It's a lovely album. Probably not massively in my area or completely captivating but very nice to listen to and I'm not ruling out giving it another go.

I think I would have enjoyed this more if I'd listened with headphones and not while driving for an hour in the car. Meandering and on the cusp of putting me to sleep.

Unique. Had trouble with the vocals at times. So spoken wordy and while it didn't necessarily take away from the music, I think it made it more eerie then it may have intended to be. Instrumentals were cool though and I appreciate that this sounds like nothing else I've heard so far on 1001

I’m not so sure he’s singing vs just talking in the right pitch. It’s a nice, ambient album but it’s too much like adult lullabies

I'm a big fan of anything that comes outta Silver Spring, Maryland and my first thought was, isn't this just Smog? Bill Callahan is the voice of Cold Blooded Old Times, that song that inevitably follows the music I play on a regular basis. Bill Callahan, aka Smog, the one man band or the 'indie pioneer of lo-fi music' per Wikipedia. If Smog is a one man band and that one man band is Bill Callahan, then what's the difference between Smog and Bill Callahan? It turns out a lot. Smog music is pretty boring, and I mean that in the best way possible, it's simple, and very apparent that it's produced by one person. Bill Callahan, is not. There are complexities, intricacies, builds and fades, waxing and waning, multi-multi instrumentation, etc. Still pretty boring, but more boring, and I mean that in the most negative way possible. The appeal of smog is that it's a pig, a fat round beautiful pink pig imperfect in every way, stinky, muddy, hairy and immovable. And then there's Bill Callahan, the evolution of Smog, who is still the pig, just in a cage, on antibiotics.

I like some of the music that sounds folk like and Bill’s deep bass. But dude can’t sing.

3.5 some of this had a pretty good sound. I put god away drug on quite a bit.

This album was very relaxing. The arrangements were well done and his subdued delivery works for what he was going for. Favorites were All Thoughts Are Prey To Some Beast and Faith/Void.

An ode to the thoughtful baritone. I never knew Smog was just this one man, let alone that he continues to produce and write music to this day. I love the peaceful vulnerability

Never heard this but very interesting.

Chill morning music

I kinda went back and forth on this one. I think we're rivaling Dylan for least and worst singer-singer, but then sometimes it was actually pretty lovely.

Sad coffee house music. But pretty good sad coffee house music. I think the meanings and symbolism are a little above me though. I'll need to research what he was trying to say though. "Faith/Void" was pretty obvious though.

The big thing about listening to music melody first is that even if you I'm paying the closest attention to what's being said, the voice is just as important an instrument as any other. It's timbre, it's texture, any third music theory word... Regardless of whether they're actually saying anything or just spouting nonsense gibberish words, the voice means as much instrumentally as any guitar or piano. Heck, it's maybe why I don't listen to instrumental music as often as I'd think I would: I'd just miss the voice too much. So then we have this album. Instrumentally speaking, gawd, it's beautiful. The acoustic lines, the guitar reverb, the piano chords, the **strings**... I'm left kind of awestruck, honestly. Like, goodness, I wasn't sure how in the world this album would sound, but I didn't expect this to be this emotionally resonant. Even without paying much attention to the words, I can understand exactly how it wants me to feel from just the composition and playing alone. On the basis of the instrumentals alone, I could give this album a solid 5 — and as I keep stressing, I try not to hand those out too often. But then we have the voice. Look, I don't wanna be too hard on Bill Callahan here. He's clearly going for a Leonard Cohen thing, and even if I've been mostly bored by Cohen's music, I can accept that it's not a bad voice. As long as it can fit in alongside the rest of what's going on instrumentally, I shouldn't have a problem with it. That's just the thing, though. It largely doesn't. Like, yeah, there are a couple of times it works really well: check the "It's time to put God away" on the closer. The way it's sung, it's perfect; I can't imagine it being done any other way. However, any other line he sings in the song just doesn't sound right. He's way too stuck in this one-note warble, when I feel like this music should require a bit of a larger range. I'm not talking about something like Fredie Mercury's or, I'unno, Mariah Crey's, with whistle tones all up in here; that wouldn't have fit the music. But at least he could have a **few** notes outside of the one or two he's stuck on? Maybe? No matter how stunning any of these songs' backing instrumentals are, his vocals always drag them down. If his limited vocal melody wasn't the focus, that'd be one thing, but the human ear is often naturally drawn towards the human voice. It'll always be at the front, especially on albums like this where what that voice is actually saying really matters. I'm just left at an impasse where, honestly, my favorite song was the penultimate one, largely because he didn't sing on it. I haven't been wanting to call his voice "monotone" or anything, because I feel like that's a bit of an extreme descriptor, but... Dang, I can't act like he doesn't turn these songs into a bit of a drone. I imagine the others in my group are gonna be kinder to this album than me, since they're probably gonna actually focus on the lyrics and what this thing is actually about. (Myself, I couldn't even begin to tell you why Billy wants him and whoever else to be a single eagle.) Listening to this album the way I typically listen to music, though... Yeah. Bill's voice, as an instrument, honestly gets me feeling like this is a 3 — 3.5 at most. It's a shame, 'coz I really do think the instrumentals were just that beautiful. Maybe if **this** was an instrumental album... I'unno.

It's just fine, not much in my eyes. 3.5 bumped down to 3.

I’m at a 3.5 that I will sadly bump down to a 3, even though I did like a lot of this. My “issues” with this album have nothing to do with the technical side of things – I love the tone of his voice, which feels like it’s constantly morphing into some mixture of Johnny Cash, Nick Drake, & Leonard Cohen, and feels remarkably comforting yet authoritative. I love the instrumentation on a lot of these tracks, with the percussion used to something rather close to perfection on a vast majority of the tracks, and the rest of the instruments enhance the mood provided by the vocals. I really love the lyricism on about half the tracks here – when the metaphors & imagery click, as they relate to animals & inner struggle between thoughts, actions & moods, they click in a way that paint some remarkably vivid pictures. That’s a lot of praise for something I have to bump down to a 3, so what exactly IS the issue here? The issue, at least for me, comes in the fact that this album just circles the waters a bit too long on each track, making them either overstay their welcome, or overlap too much with other ones on the album. It’s done in a way that dilutes & homogenizes the whole thing just a bit too much, in a way that’s too… rehearsed, I suppose? There’s a track or two that feel stuck within the script he’s trying to give (namely “The Wind & The Dove” & “My Friend”), and he’s really stuck on trying to make that metaphor work, no matter how hard it is to decipher. The same feeling of being “stuck” applies on the last track, “Faith/Void”, and it applies to the whole thing besides the lyricism – at 9 minutes, that track really drags along in such a way where the beauty of it is lost, and the meaning just becomes a few lines he feels obligated to repeat to fill up time. With all of that said, I hear the acclaim, and I can feel why the album got rave reviews in 2009, and why it’s on the list. I do think it’s been surpassed by other albums that do this style better, and tell their stories more concisely, to trim down the fat in ways that feel more compelling. It’s a very 70s-esque album for 2009, and I really admire that, especially in a year I know best for big pop hits. It’s a strong 3.5, but I can’t bump it up to a 4 right now for all that I mentioned, hence the 3. I do recommend it, though, and it could bump up to a 4 someday.

Slow and relaxing music. The last song was getting very repetitive though.

'Prog country' with a droning voice and haunting feel

Chill and slow. Didn't dislike but it put me to sleep.

Thought I was going to end up giving this 2 stars, but a few songs bumped this up to a 3.

On the one hand, this one was refreshing, because it tried to do something new with the Folk/Country genre. On the other hand, Callahan's voice didn't vibe with me at all, dragging down the songs with it. As a whole, the album is a solid effort, but nothing more. 3/5

I listened to about half of the album, I like his vocals and the guitar skills, but some of the times when he is more talking than singing kinda bothered me a little bit. I’ll deff come back to listen to the rest later on tho. Initial listen 3/5

A few songs are good, but overall it does become fatiguing to listen too.

This is a tough one to rate after just one listen. I think I liked it, and upon further listening might get a higher rating. It's weird and out there, but it mostly works. But sometimes it really doesn't work at all, at least not on first listen. It's probably better than the 3 I'm giving it, but I'm not sure yet.

I want to like Bill Callahan more than I do because I think his lyrics are interesting. However, there are a few stumbling blocks. His voice is just too blank for me and when he combines it with such tastefully dull alt country arrangements as he does on this album it compounds the problem. Finally, his melodies are mostly only passable to my ears.

The instrumentals were pretty good throughout with some exceptions, but I found the singing and lyrics to be very grating. Very repetitive, monotone and non-stop. Sometimes you need to give the music space to breathe man. Also I love a good long song, but that last song way WAY too long for how little it has to say and how repetitive it was. 2.5/5 -> 3/5

Gotta say, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, I'd listen to this again to be honest

++: The Wind and the Dove, Rococo Zephyr, My Friend +: Jim Cain, Too Many Birds, All Thoughts Are Prey to Some Beasts Invocation of Ratiocination, Faith/Void +-: Eid Ma Clack Shaw 7,2/10

Det här är trevligt att lyssna på. kanske lite för långt för att det ska bli en 4 men det är fan gött alltså. en stark trea

mid

Pleasant but uninteresting IMO

big 3

Kind of cool, but also a bit slow through some of it.

Time to put God away.

was my geoguessr soundtrack

INTERESTING

I have never heard of Bill Callahan or this album before today. It's pretty good, a chill contemplative vibe. Sort of folk lounge type thing. I can definitely see myself listening to this again.

Pretty good.

I get what he was going for, but was definitely not in the right mood for melancholy

Okay, but a bit boring.

Some nice sounds and ideas on here, but probably a casualty of me not giving this enough room to breathe. Other than Cohen, I’m reminded of an old favorite album by Nathaniel Rateliff I would recommend - In Memory of Loss - before he spun up the Nightsweats and his more uptempo commercial hits. Some similar vibes to this, just slightly more melodic, less chanting.

ok

Deep voice, mellow vibes, part special, part boring.

It was pretty good, better than I expected.

Hey, it’s that dude from Joanna Newsom’s Only Skin! I enjoyed this well enough but tbh the lyrics sound like discarded poetry, at best.

No feelings. I'm not an eagle.

Pretentious simple album. Didn't dislike it, but it was too monotonous.

Bill Callahan is an artist I haven't heard about before. It's a relaxing folk/country/indie album, and his baritone voice is smooth (it is almost like spoken word). I liked the chill atmosphere of the album, though not sure I would listen to it again soon.

A pretty good album I liked My Friend the best.

This was interesting folksy sounding music, that I felt was decent. Not something that I would listen to regularly but it was definitely unique.

Enjoyable album, a pleasant surprise. Bonus points for helping me reduce my stress levels yesterday.

This is interesting, dreamy, works well both as gentle background music but also a calming more focused listen. Really nicely balanced, enough variety not to bore you, a comfortable 3/5 that might get to a 4 after a few more listens.

Sort of like if the Beatles and the National had a baby while listening to “LoFi Beats To Study To”

I think this makes sense to be on the list because it's good but kind of odd. His style is unique and a bit easy to feel old but it wasn't a bad listen. At the same time I liked it more and less than I would have thought.

Odd and haunting. The vocals are almost disjointed from the music. The compositions are pleasant. The stereo mixing good. I don't dislike this. A whole album of this vocal style is a bit too much. Yet, something is intriguing.

Good background while having dinner

Okay so most of this album is okay modern singer-songwriter mellow country-esque lofi deep voiced rhythmic talking with a weird bird romanticizing favor. Honestly quite chill. 3.5/5 Sidenote: Eid Ma Clack Shaw really shook me. Not because it is such a masterwork of a song (it's good), but because it sounds so familiar as if I had heard it a thousand times before and just forgotten about it. Like a dream. Which is really bizarre, considering the content of the song and the fact that I never heard of the artist, album, or any of the songs before.