#13
Bill Callahan: “Drover”
[from Apocalypse / Drag City] 

There are only a handful of songwriters working today that inspire as much devotion in their followers as Bill Callahan. The man who formerly hid behind the Smog moniker is on a short list of artists that includes Will Oldham, Jason Molina and Jeff Mangum in which their songs end up being more gospel than music. Callahan’s writing has long had the feeling of sounding incredibly of the moment while also remaining timeless.

As the lead track on Apocalypse, “Drover” introduces the wide open plains sound that permeates the bulk of the album. Callahan violently strums a nylon string classical guitar while random cymbal splashes break up the sounds of a distant fiddle. In a time when so many people are cynical about absolute pride in their country, Callahan casually sings “there’s something about this wild, wild country” and damn near makes you want to saddle up a horse on the spot and head for the Grand Canyon.

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