Bill Callahan - Woke On A Whaleheart LP

Rightly considered a “words guy,” it’s definitely easy to overlook the music that nestles them on Bill Callahan’s records.

Helmed by the all-timer Neil Michael Hagerty of Royal Trux fame in the production chair, Woke On A Whaleheart has got to be one of the most musically varied LPs in Callahan’s catalogue. While this doesn’t necessarily sound like a Trux album, it has the weird production hallmarks of it; an almost collage-esque means of arranging instruments zipping in and out of the mix, from softly scuzzy guitars, to a wonky sounding pedal steal, to violin leads, and left-of field percussion. Nic informs me that it sounds a lot like the first NMH & The Howling Hex album but Im yet to hear it, so will have to trust his word! For an artist so lauded for his minimal arrangements it’s a strange but enjoyable turn revisiting this!

And yeah, like all Bill Callahan albums the words are pretty great too.

-Mitch