Bill Callahan - Gold Record
(Drag City)

I was surprised and thrilled to learn that Bill Callahan had already prepped a new record of material, only a year and a half after his magnificent double LP Shepherd In A Sheepskin Vest. Callahan recorded these songs in June 2019 with a small group of players, the album finished soup-to-nuts in just 6 days. You can hear this hurried approach in the finished LP Gold Record however the record defies that speed at which it was conceived. Gold Record comes off loose, relaxed and seemingly improvised. The tracks sometimes feel as though they might fall apart, and that the musicians are figuring out the tune in the moment. That approach fits the exploratory mood of Callahan, whose stories and concepts behind the songs are both sprawling and thought-provoking, is the captain as his band accents his lyrical touchpoints with splashes of flugelhorn, clarinet and graceful synths. Subtly is the key to Gold Record. Callahan sings about the prolific songwriter and artist Ry Cooder on...“Ry Cooder!” Is he merely reminding us of his affinity for his career or something more? With Callahan it’s hard to know. He begins “35” with his loss of “seeing himself in the books he reads” but finishes the track gazing at the moon and peering down dark roads before realizing he still has a book in his lap. “The MacKenzies” paints a sad, but touching tale of Callahan getting “adopted” by a family across the street who comfort him in their dead son’s untouched room. A lot to digest here. Gold Record is rich with heartfelt moments and humor and at times, the songs feel like skeletal sketches laid down for Callahan to wind his way through. It’s simple in some ways, yet head scratching as well. Again, it’s as if the players are discovering its nuances at the same time you do. And yeah, it’s great. (Dom)
Check out a track here.