Rough Travel for a Rare Thing (Live)

iTunes Review

Over the years Bill Callahan has recorded an extensive range of music as Smog, (Smog) and as himself. Initially, the differences and improvements were notable. His album Doctor Came At Dawn began a new era that the follow-up Red Apple Falls took even further. From that point on, Callahan learned to lead a band, better understood the effect of his own deadpan vocals, and worked even harder at lyrics that often defied easy description. This live album features an excellent backing band that gives Callahan the freedom to use his vocal phrasings to inflect new meaning and add a toughness to tunes such as “Held,” “Our Anniversary” and the slow, deliberate trudge of “Let Me See the Colts.” “Bathysphere” turns into a nightclub shuffle from a man who has never sounded like he’s known a single dance move. The stronger, streamlined productions and livelier performances arguably standardize Callahan’s approach. But that only shows just how deep in his own head Callahan has been all these years.