[.ca] Rain On Lens

From Amazon.com:
It might not be as bare or as fraught as Smog's earlier works, but from mordant tone alone, Rain on Lens is Bill Callahan's darkest release since 1996's The Doctor Came at Dawn. While it would be disingenuous to claim that Smog's Bill Callahan is a man of ever-changing moods--he has, over the last 10 years, been responsible for some of the most consistently morose works this side of a suicide note--some of his recent records, especially 1999's glorious Knock Knock, have been invested with a certain hearty warmth. Rain on Lens, however, is not one of those records. Reclaiming his seat in the rocking chair, as weak sunlight filters through musty net curtains, Callahan muses, in his deep baritone over the darkest tales. "Song" is a morbid death march in which Callahan drawls, "I'm a bit like the gravedigger / Who wields no shovel / And digs no hole / But leaves the body to stand," while "Natural Decline" finds his Chicago-based backing band sparking up into a kind of deathly motorik rhythm, accompanied by skeletal handclaps and piercing violin sweeps. The Smog aficionados among us will love it, but for a hapless newcomer eager to dip a toe into these murky waters, there are more forgiving starting points. --Louis Pattison

excellent!:
bill callahan aka smog once again out did himself. i think rain on lens is amazing; it is stronger lyrically and musically than dongs of sevotion which was no slouch by any means. rain on lens is much smoother, i immediately got into it. the only drawback is that it is too short. give it a try and listen, i promise you will not be disappointed.

a new career in a new town:
Bill 'Smog' Callahan's 4-tracking days are far behind, and only for the better, it seems. Each album since 1995's Wild Love has offered significant improvement (or at least new wrinkles) on Callahan's dry, stark, and occasionally morbid observational songwriting techniques. The big variation on this album, which perhaps explains the slightly altered billing (as "(smog)"), is that Callahan employs a full band on every song, or more precisely, one band, rather than a rotating crew, as on past albums. This includes Eleventh Dream Day's Rick Rizzo on guitar, US Maple's Pat Samson on drums, and avant-garde oboeist Kyle Bruckmann. The result is perhaps the tightest, most cohesive album Callahan has ever delivered. As always, the outward prickliness of his music only serves to set those frequent moments of instrumental beauty and lyrical clarity ("God does not answer / This type of prayer") in sharper contrast. Another American classic, from a true national treasure.

Pretty much more of the same, less of the different...:
Smog, like much good music, is a bit of an acquired taste. Bill Callahan's music might prove a little difficult to some because of the impenetrability of its bleakness and despair: the sparest of guitar chords are scratched over minimal ornamentation, and Callhan does a kind of speak-sing comparable to Leonard Cohen, Lou Reed and David Berman (imagine the latter on lithium, narrating about failed relationships and death. If this is your cup of tea, this is the album for you. But if you're one of those who wish Callhan would break from his usual routine (as he has demonstrated capable of doing with a few stellar cuts off Songs and Devotion and Knock Knock), then you might be disappointed. There are a few tracks that step forward to distinguish themselves from the gloom and doom, however; Live Your Life Like...is a beautifully written and captivating song. Song, Revanchism and Short Drive also have a little hop in their step, more of what Callahan needs.

Elaborates on the minimal vibe in 'Dongs of Sevotion':
Each of the last few Smog albums had a surprise--the country vibe on 'Red Apple Falls,' the kids singing on 'Knock Knock, the cheerleaders on 'Dongs'--but this album feels a little more subdued. Dare I say "mature"? There are unexpected moments, but they don't really stand alongside the aforementioned ones. "Song" is loud and crunchy, although similar in structure and theme to "Strayed"--it is a standout track. "Revanchism" sounds almost like a bouncy children's song. The best moments come when Bill Callahan is in familiar territory, such as the swaggering, out-of-the-bayou "Natural Decline," one of those songs that is so simple but catchy and sports utterly poetic lyrics. And yes, it has a beat, and even handclaps; you can host your own bedroom dance party. If you were going to review this album in one word, it would be "repetition." There are many songs that build on a repeated chord, but often the songs just move sideways instead of building towards a crescendo. They are subtle, but sometimes it really pays off--"Live as if Someone is Always Watching You" is one of Bill's prettiest songs to date, I think, recalling "It's Rough" from the 'Wild Love' album. There are no bad songs here, although some are slight ("Dirty Pants"). As weak a word as it is, "pretty" really accurately describes the album. One note of disappointment though: "Short Drive" was an impossibly perfect song live, but it was sort of watered down on the album. Regardless: If you can be patient, you will like this album.

Billy take your gloom to town (sorry):
Rain On Lens is one of the most straightforward record Mr Callahan has recorded. He sets up stall by leading us into a film where there's "rain on lens, boom in frame, all is ruin" then 'Song' gives you a flavour of whats to come on the first half of the album. It seems to operate in a similar universe to Quickspace, with dark driven krautrock, shifting form in small nuances and offering a twisted philosphy that Smog fans have come to love. It might just be me but it has a very European feel to this record. Perhaps it's all the black & white cover Art and the dense and dark metaphors that are littered across this album. The second half is quite beautiful and quite upbeat in places. 'Live as if...' is reminiscent of Rem, My Bloody Valentine and various other abstract pieces of Alternative music (and at one scary point I was reminded of the Crash Test Dummies, though it might be safer to say the red house painters.) It feels like a short album, a inbetweener that stands in a field of its own to previous releases, but like most Smog songs it's difficult to put you finger on what makes you feel this way, but it matters little as it's a nice dark place to be.

• Rain On The Lens 1
• Song
• Natural Decline
• Keep Some Steady Friends Around
• Dirty Pants
• Lazy Rain
• Short Drive
• Live As If Someone Is Always Watching You
• Rain On Lens 2
• Revanchism