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My Taste in Music is Way Better Than Your Taste in Music ________ [Main] [Reviews] [Features] [Albums] [Wanted] [Top 50] [Guestbook] tommoatuccdotasndotau________ |
Smog A River Ain't Too Much to Love Released in 2005 8.9/10 Styles Folk Alt-Country Singer/Songwriter Song Highlights The Well In the Pines Let Me See the Colts |
Smog's Bill Callahan posesses an amazing voice - a smooth, expressive barritone - which makes every one of his tracks instantly recognisable. Combined with his gravelly charisma, it makes him the sort of vocalist you'd seriously consider paying to read the phone book aloud. A River Ain't Too Much to Love is his 12th album under the Smog (formerly written in parentheses) moniker, and it marks a very slight departure from his previous style. His music has never been particularly easy to categorise any more specifically than "lo-fi", with most of his previous work consisting of the minimal combination of near-spoken-word vocals and repetitive, hushed guitar. That same style is in effect here, but now the songs have a distinctive folk/country edge to them, due largely to the touches of strings, piano and harmonica which accompany them, as well as the inclusion of several traditional folk guest players. Callahan slips comfortably into his new sound, and the album feels completely relaxed and confident from start to finish. He stays almost totally grounded, maintaining a constant humbleness in his croaky musings which reminded me of Iron and Wine's similarly level style, even if the two sound quite different vocally. In fact, with his deep and resonant voice, Callahan comes across sounding a little like Johnny Cash, which works perfectly in the context of the album. The final product is a completely likeable collection of subtle, contemplative, dreamily hypnotic songs. Highlight tracks are numerous, but my personal favourites include the opener "Palimpsest," "The Well" and "In the Pines." Best of all is the gorgeous closing track "Let Me See the Colts," which is already a serious contender for my favourite song of the year. A springing slide guitar sits in the foreground, while distant wails of harmonica hover and playful drum rolls push the track along. Combined with the best vocals from an album full of great singing, the song becomes utterly breathtaking. A River Ain't Too Much to Love is a complete success, and deserves to be recognised - alongside Red Apple Falls, Knock Knock and Dongs of Sevotion - as some of Callahan's finest work to date. Highly recommended. |