What ultimately attracts me to Smog, and to Dongs of Sevotion, is Bill Callahan's similarity to Leonard Cohen. It's not that they sound alike; admittedly, Callahan's voice occasionally sounds like Cohen's, all deep and solemn, but his music is filtered through the spartan indie-folk-rock aesthetic that has powered Palace, Songs: Ohia and others, while Cohen eschews folk for pop more often than not. No, the similarity comes in tone: there's a lot of frank, confessional soul-baring going on here, and an almost gospel-like tone of reverence and regret. Like Cohen, Callahan seems quietly joyful, almost awestruck by his redemption, but hasn't forgotten how sorry he is for committing the sin. Callahan's ability to balance the two emotions, giving sorrow and elation equal reign, is what gives Dongs of Sevotion its magic.
This is most strongly illustrated by "Dress Sexy at My Funeral", a dying (or dead) man's exhortation to his wife. He encorages her to "dress sexy" for the first time in her life, and to pepper his eulogy with tales of their adventurous sex life. Though initially a somewhat lurid concept, the speaker's motives are gradually revealed. Dressing provocatively and revealing intimate details will help his wife to focus on the happiest and most intimate aspects of their life together, helping to temper her grief while also reminding her that her life will continue and that she will one day find joy again. You can tell that the speaker's lovingly-recounted memories are offering him comfort, too. Death is a sad thing; why not celebrate a life filled with happiness? And ultimately, nothing gives Death the two-fingered salute like lascivious behavior at one's own funeral.
Similarly, in "Easily Led", Callahan seems ashamed by love, hastening to assert the fact that he doesn't typically fall in the fashion that he's fallen. It's a downbeat tune, rendered stark by minimal piano, but in their quiet confidence, the lyrics divulge a backhanded compliment: the fact that he's not easily led makes winning his heart a far more grand achievement.
"Nineteen" echoes another facet of Leonard Cohen's work by dredging up memories of past love. They're gauzy images rendered in faded watercolor, obscured by oblique wordplay that winkingly suggests an unhappy ending -- but distanced by the implication that these moments, frozen in time, happened long, long ago, beyond the range of accurate memory.
Or maybe I'm just letting my English Major instincts get the better of me. It's possible that I've imagined the subtexts in Callahan's work...but I prefer to believe they're there.
To enjoy Dongs of Sevotion, you'll need a refined musical palate. Callahan's compositions don't play to the broader senses, favoring isolated but richly evocative details over grand scene-setting exercises. If you don't approach Dongs... with the attention span it requires, and if you don't follow the tales its lyrics spin, you may well be bored beyond belief. Trust me -- to do this is to squander the gifts of a beautiful album. Listen for the tiny fragments of scene-setting detail, and observe the emotional balance Callahan achieves. Connect properly and you'll be treated to a profoundly moving emotional journey.
