Spectreview: Bill Callahan – Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest

-LIGHT CORAL-

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“It feels good to be writing again
Clear water flows from my pen”

The old adage is true: it’s easier to write about pain than pleasure. Or rather, it’s easier to write compelling art from a place of sadness, from negative forces that provoke a reaction, rather than from something as ephemeral and easily disturbed as happiness. Bill Callahan spends the first few songs on his new double album, Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest, gently lifting us out of the dark of the bar and into someplace lighter, with fresh air and verdant pastures. The turning point is “Writing,” a mellifluous ray of sunlight on acoustic instruments, pedal steel and light breezy percussion that fully sets the stage for a long, meandering exploration of contentment. Double albums are ambitious by definition, but here it feels like Callahan is just putting down anything that flows from his mind without a thought of varying tone or dynamic. It’s static, which can impede careful listening, but careful listening is exactly what makes this album remarkable, as turns of phrase fold over themselves, providing multitudes of meaning as the record progresses. His metaphors are as obtuse as ever, but he’s an excellent wordsmith with a knack of opening his lyrics up to interpretation while signifying that they’re all carefully chosen, with some apparent purpose. Lightness prevails, from the miracle of birth and human perseverance (“747”) to the comfort of true love (“What Comes After Certainty”) to the unique bliss of family life (“Confederate Jasmine”). Even when darkness starts to creep in, as it often does today (check out the extended Second Coming metaphors plaguing “Released” and suspiciously ominous closer “The Beast”), it’s positioned as a reminder that happiness is beautiful because it’s impermanent. In imbuing his music with an uncommon warmth and easiness, Callahan makes a profound statement on living happily in the modern era, where the simplest joys of life (family, love, music) are timeless and best left uncorrupted by examination.

Recommended for your next trip to the mountains.