Contradicting his stage name, Bill Callahan gives out a very lucid feeling in his new record, “A River Ain’t Too Much to Love”. Listening to the album for the first time I immediately felt like meeting one of those old friends, with whom you feel totally comfortable the second you hook up, even if you haven’t seen them in years, or ever. Smog sits by you in a small room with a fire and antique artifacts on the walls, telling you with a stark naked voice about the things he encountered during his poetic travels. His voice longs for a younger (and more lively) Johnny Cash, and his simply arranged melodies and lyrics tell it to your face, using approachable yet refreshing metaphors even I can grasp.
I’m pretty sure even Curt Kobain will find solace in Smog’s version of “In the Pines”, which gives a feeling of benevolent acceptance. In “Say Valley Maker”, one of the most recommended tracks to sample from this record, the lo-fi guitar sound, which is characteristic of the whole record, is accompanied compatibly by a marching rhythm. Some of you will also be happy to hear Joanna Newsom’s piano rise from the fathoms on “Rock Bottom Riser”. The record just surfs the thin line between depression and country music, delivering a genuine homogeneous and compassionate journey.
Smog released A River Ain’t Too Much to Love on Drag City records (DC292) on May and is currently touring the US, check out the dates here. Lyrics for his songs can be found here. There are tons of samples to listen to (but not one MP3!) here, and the video clip (low quality) for I Feel Like the Mother of the World here.