How ironic that when Bill Callahan finally lifts his veil of Smog—his perfectly band-worthy solo moniker these past 19 years—to release an album under his own name, it winds up sounding more like a group effort than any of his past projects. It’s as if our bleak lo-fi-loving hermit has suddenly stepped into the sun, embracing colors heretofore beyond the borders of his dusky cave.
In part, the metamorphosis can be attributed to (or blamed on, depending how Woke on a Whaleheart hits you) ex-Pussy Galore/Royal Trux guitarist Neil Hagerty, credited with arranging and co-producing the disc’s nine tracks. Also in the fold: a violinist, a gospel vocalist and a frisky electric guitarist, all of which adds up to a most un-Smog-like effort from Señor Smog.
At times, the new components overrun his primary attraction—dryly told, peculiarly perceptive musings like “We got in the river and it groped us/Made us think of sex between us”—either by distracting from the lyrics (“Footprints”) or threatening to drown them out (“Day”). When music and vocals commingle, as on standout cuts “From the Rivers to the Ocean” and “Sycamore,” however, Woke works, so much so that you’ll wonder what took Callahan so long to loose this full-bodied side of himself. –Spencer Patterson