Public Servant Lifestyle

Smog return with another collection of songs that will find a place in the heart of anyone who ever loved the likes of Leonard Cohen or The Palace Brothers’ Will Oldham

"A River Ain't Too Much To Love’s most striking aspect is its unequivocal beauty." – Claire Allfree (Metro).

Sharply observed melancholia, fragile acoustics and the incredible reaching voice of Bill Callahan means we can only be in Smog country...

It's eleven plus years since the creative entity know variously as Smog and (Smog) came into being - and two years since they were last on these shores. Now arguably Domino Recordings finest talent releases another cracker of a long-player - and makes a series of live appearances to boot.

The brand new album: A River Ain't Too Much To Love comprises ten new songs, recorded at county legend Willie Nelson's Pedernales Studio in Spicewood, Texas. The album features Jim White (of Dirty Three) on drums – in addition to Bill’s guitar and voice – performing a clutch of songs firmly in the tradition of Red Apple Falls and And The Doctor Came At Dawn - in other words: of some of the best musical destinations Callahan and crew have reached in the past.

The tracks for A River Ain't Too Much To Love shape up like this:

1. Palimpsest

Delicate spanish sounding guitasrs. Sweet melody. Great album opener. That title? The word refers to a manuscript from which an earlier text has been removed and the parchment/vellum reused for another, more recent text. This re-use of valuable writing materials used to be common practice in Medieval ecclesiastical circles. It says here. No, I have no idea how that dfirectly relates to the song, but it's a fine word in any case, heady with implications of overwriting, reworking and revisionism.

2. Say Valley Maker

Bill Callahan harmonises gently with himself accompanied by subtle drumming, simple guitar and his own haunting motif "...bury me in wood..." Lovely.

3. The Well

A spoken intro. - literally introducing the track with "This one's called 'The Well'" - give s the track that follows a charming, live feel, like Callahan is singing in your house. Rapid rhythmic guitar is playing matched by soaring vocals (his singing voice seems to get better and better with each record) layered with solid drums, harmonica and increasingly driving guitar.

4. Rock Bottom Riser

A song of love and joy - pretty piano combines with the distinct sound of the players' fingers on guitar strings. Gentle, unpolished perfection.

5. I Feel Like The Mother of The World

Finds Bill in good-natured, hopeful, yet reflective mood.

6. In The Pines

"The longest train I ever saw.." croons Bill as whistling (when was the last time you heard that on a song?) harmonises with what sounds like violin - and ever so subtle brushes on snare. A very pretty, romantic Smog story song.

7. Drinking At The Dam

No idea what this is about (aside from wells). Creates a charming atmospheric story picture though.

8. Running & Loping

Despite all his alt. country credentials (which are, of course, superb) this song proves that Bill Callahan is developing quite a distinctive little folky style all his own. This is part old-school Bert Jansch, part future school Smog.

9. I'm New Here

10. Let Me See The Colts

Mournful sounding harmonica and we're back in horse territory subject matter wise. Something which seems close to the author's heart - as it so regularly appears as metaphor. "Is there anything as still as sleeping horses?" he ponders. "...where the sun never shines." A hopeful for the future sounding song - and a triumphant end track.

To give an idea of what this entire album is like, if you liked the likes of Truth Serum from 2003’s Supper (and let’s face it, you’d have to be half twisted up with beastliness not to) then this will be entirely up you street. Not since Domino released the Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy Sings Greatest Palace Music collection early last year have they put out such a consistently wonderful set of songs on one disc. Smog have here a set of laugh out loud/cry out loud tales to tell here - this is one of the best Smog albums yet.

To coincide with the release of A River Ain’t Too Much To Love, Smog took to the road for a full UK and Eire tour in an assortment of intimate venues. If you missed them, you missed out.

Smog – a selected discography

SINGLES & EPS

A Hit/Wine-Stained Lips - 7” (1994)
Kicking a Couple Around - CD only (1996)
Came Blue – 7” (1996)
Ex-Con – 7” (1997)
Held – 7” (1999)
Look Now – 7” (1999)
Hit the Ground Running – 7” (1999)
Strayed – 7” & CD (2000)
'Neath the Puke Tree – 7”, 12” & CD (2000)
Cold Blooded Old Times - 7” & CD

ALBUMS

Forgotten Foundation - CD only (1992)
Julius Caesar - CD only (1993)
Burning Kingdom - CD only (1994)
Wild Love - CD only (1995)
Sewn to the Sky - CD only (1995)
The Doctor Came at Dawn - LP & CD (1996)
Red Apple Falls - LP & CD 1997
Knock Knock - LP & CD (1999)
Dongs of Sevotion - LP & CD (2000)
Rain on Lens - LP & CD (2001)
Accumulation: None - LP & CD (2002)
Supper - LP & CD (2003)
A River Ain't Too Much To Love – LP & CD (2005)

A River Ain't Too Much To Love is out now, on vinyl and CD formats, from Domino in the UK (Drag City for US releases).

Bill Callahan photo credit: Joanna Newsom.

More information available in North America, Music