Track Listing

1. Jim Cain
2. Eid Ma Clack Shaw
3. Wind And The Dove, The
4. Rococo Zephyr
5. Too Many Birds
6. My Friend
7. All Thoughts Are Prey To Some Beast
8. Invocation Of Ratiocination
9. Faith/Void

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #866 in Music
• Released on: 2009-04-13
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .9 pounds

CD Description
Bill Callahan returns for his second LP under his real name(having previously gone under the pseudonym Smog), following 2007's 'Woke On A Whaleheart'. Like its predecessor, 'Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle' sees Callahan a somewhat cleansed and lighter songwriter than on his notably dark and soul-searching early work, here utilising some extensive instrumental arrangements. French horns and strings grace several of the tracks, while Callahan contemplates religion, nature and finding his own place in his trademark bass voice.

Customer Reviews

He used to be darker, then he got lighter, then he got dark again
This is an excellent album - probably my favourite of 2009 so far. Bill Callahan has been around a long time under the Smog moniker and tends to produce low key albums that grow on you with more listens. This one struck me as more instantly impressive than his last outing, his rather dry delivery nicely contrasted by some excellent string arrangements. Well worth listening closely to the lyrics - some interesting and quirky takes on love and religion here. Intelligent indie music for discerning listeners I would say. If BC is new to you, reference points would be Lambchop meets Richard Hawley. If you are already a fan then this will exceed your expectations. And that's praise indeed!

Bill Callahan - Sometimes I wish we could all write songs as good as this
I struggled with this album for a while and I am not certain why. Smog has passed me by and I hope to use "Sometimes I wish we were an eagle" as a door which will open to some very rich treasures. If Bill Callahan albums are anything as good as this a massive treat is in store.

He sings in what is low yet melodic baritone voice and its both gentle and atmospheric but with a deceptive hard edge. First song "Jim Cain" reminds me of Kurt Wagner from Lambchop and the superb "Saturday option" from "What a man spills". Its slow and incremental but once it get its hooks into you it stays with you. The lyrics are quite funny as Callahan admits that "I started out in search of ordinary things ... I started telling the story without knowing the end. I used to be darker, then I got lighter, then I got dark again."

"Wind and the Dove" has an eastern coda that runs through its introduction and then goes into a deep melody with Callahan spoken lyrics to a bitter but beautiful love lament. It is followed by equally strong songs including "Too Many Birds" and what passes for an upbeat song on this album "My Friend" underpinned by wonderful orchestration and beautiful deep cellos.

The albums masterpiece however is "All thoughts are prey to some beast". It charts a dark journey in consciousness and how his desires eventually return but not until a moment when he recognises

"Then something struck him, wings of bone
Sweet desires and soft thoughts were all gone
The eagle shrieked, "I'm alone"

"All thoughts" is followed by a rather weak instrumental but the album ends on a high with the long and gentle Faith/Void where Callahan walks away from religion announcing "its time to put God away". If you are religious you may not like the sentiment but it is a wonderful song about the end of faith.

So we did I struggle so much with this album? Perhaps because it is so good and requires you to LISTEN. Bill Callahan has created one of the most evocative albums you will hear this year. I thought when I heard it initially it owed a huge debt to Nick Drake and Leonard Cohen I was completely wrong it is utterly unique.

Flight of Fancy
Beautiful pastoral album that sounds like Cohen singing over Lambchop with some `Bryter Layter' style string arrangements added for good measure. Highlights are many - `The Wind and the Dove' is a stunning string drenched classic, opener `Ed Cain' is an understated dreamlike gem and `My Friend' opens like a great lost Drake track before morphing into a very different propulsive beast.

The last Callahan album I investigated was the consistently entertaining Smog release `Dongs of Sevotion' way back in 2000 - I'm not entirely sure why I never felt compelled to purchase any of his subsequent releases since then but I'm glad that I invested in this near perfect release. I'd rate this as highly as the Smog classic `Knock Knock'.