Woke on a Whaleheart

When the '90s lo-fi revolution was in full swing, Bill Callahan was its Leonard Cohen, turning out dark ballads under the nom de plume of Smog. WOKE ON A WHALEHEART finds Callahan stepping out from behind his alias for the first time. Accordingly, there's an increased sense of directness here, although the arrangements don't stray too far from the Smog style (casual acoustic and electric strumming; gentle, loping rhythms). There's also a greater feeling of emotional ease, if not contentedness. Whether or not this comes from his romantic involvement with neo-folk pixie Joanna Newsom, it adds an intriguing new chapter to the Callahan/Smog story.