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A remarkably spare and focused collection?
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Callahan's songs occasionally lapse into banal rhyming patterns, but more often than not he masters the metaphor.
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Callahan has a gift for expressing complex human issues -- death, depression, retribution, separation -- through uncomplicated language.
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At first listen, this album is downbeat minimalism à la Leonard Cohen, but it actually covers a lot of ground.
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As his musical repertoire has expanded from minimalist folk to occasionally playful pop, so has his tolerance for the foibles of the flesh. 'Dongs Of Sevotion', from its silly title to its intermittent flashes of tenderness and humour, is the proof.
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An album of stark beauty and utter honesty.
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Every track on Dongs of Sevotion is chock-full of some of the most poignant, disconcerting lyrics you should ever have to hear.
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Back in the real world, fans of the disconnected Callahan know what to expect. They're a loyal breed who puzzle over his dryly funny lyrics and file the CDs next to Mark Eitzel and Nick Cave... His best yet.
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Continues the musical evolution that was evident on last year's Knock Knock, with a collection that goes beyond Smog's standard home-alone-in-the-basement-with-a-four track-and-a-weird-mood aesthetic.
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Recording with a small band that includes John McEntire (Tortoise, The Sea And Cake) on drums, Jeff Parker (Tortoise, Isotope 217) on guitar, and Matt Lux (Isotope 217) on bass, Callahan has created a surprisingly accessible and enjoyable pastiche of what makes him tick.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 12 out of 13
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Mixed: 0 out of 13
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Negative: 1 out of 13
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LeonardoFJul 5, 2005Lyrically and melodically brilliant.
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KevinKApr 29, 2005
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RyanCFeb 22, 2005If the last track here doesnt make you stop what you are doing and feel a shiver, then you are possibly not human