25 Years of Smog’s Dongs Of Sevotion

Photo: C. Taylor Crothers

A follow-up to perhaps one of Smog’s, the long-running project of nearly two decades from the visceral and influentially intense mind of Bill Callahan, is among his most highly regarded albums: 1999’s “Knock, Knock.” The veteran songwriter quickly returned to the studio to record his eighth album, “Dongs of Sevotion,” shortly after, in the last year of the 20th century, to continue the meditative magic. Joined by fellow musicians Richard Schuler and John McEntire of notable acts like The Sea And Cake and Tortoise, Matthew Lux, jazz and post-rock guitarist Jeff Parker, and members Damian Rogers, Jennifer Collins, and Nicole Evans of The Dongettes, Callahan eagerly shifts from one sonic suit to another—this time against the backdrop of a pivotal century ending and another beginning. Covering a political landscape that had already ignited chaos in our country with events like the US presidential election featuring Texas Governor George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore, the last known Pyrenean ibex to be naturally conceived died under mysterious circumstances, and of course, “Dongs of Sevotion.” As iconic as previous covers, the album features legendary photographer Taylor Crothers, known for his work on Dave Matthews Band albums like “Under The Table And Dreaming” and “Crash,” further cementing Callahan’s lyrical legacy and devotion to the spiritual craft of songwriting. A playful manipulation of words, Callahan carefully conjures up the esoteric energies embraced by those who tackle topics like death, love, harmonious humor, the atmosphere of alienation, and the endless depths of existential emptiness in his familiar fashion with a mighty swing from within the sophistication of spiritual solace.

The word ‘Smog’ meant nothing to me—just like symbols on a slot machine, like a cherry or a horseshoe. I realized that’s what I was broadcasting, that’s the face I was giving to people.

Born William Rahr Callahan, Smog has been the visceral vessel for Callahan’s metaphysical music and sedative sound since before his debut album “Sewn To The Sky.” Having established himself as a staple songwriter among peers like his friend and frequent collaborator Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Jason Molina, Kyle Field (Little Wings), David Berman (Silver Jews), Mark Kozelek (Sun Kil Moon), and several others, “Dongs of Sevotion” finds the musician effortlessly entering an ethereal ecosystem filled with melodic macabre, the pains of philosophy, and a top drawer filled with numerous instruments like guitar, synthesizer, vocals, organ, piano, tape, and the harp, which Callahan simultaneously performs with throughout the album’s intense interior. Holding down the producer credits, Callahan invited Joe Dilillo, the brilliance of John McEntire once again, John Tower, and Phil Bonnet, producer of Smog’s 1997 classic “Red Apple Falls,” who passed suddenly from a brain aneurysm before the album’s release, the year before. A tragedy that occupies a special place within the music’s memory, “Dongs of Sevotion” splinters into the foundational flesh of Callahan’s poetic psyche by demonstrating just how precious and gorgeous life can be when we slow down and carefully acknowledge its tasteful tragedies and whispering weirdness from time to time. With tracks like "Bloodflow," "Permanent Smile," the album’s electrifying opener "Justice Aversion," and the subliminal classic "Dress Sexy at My Funeral," Callahan methodically manifests the sincere scenery of an intimate individual levitating through the language of life in a melodic manner that effortlessly echoes Bukowski, and the fever dreams of Franz Kafka.


In memory of Phil Bonnet.

https://www.dragcity.com/artists/smog
https://smog.bandcamp.com/music

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