SMOG

Smog: Bill Callahan.
Additional personnel: Cynthia Dall (vocals, guitar); Steven Zdybel (violin); Kim Osterwalder (cello); Ron Burns (drums).
The dramatic minor-key electric guitar riffs that drive this six-song EP bring to mind Neil Young covering the Ennio Morricone catalog. Smog mainman Bill Callahan's usual mix of self-deprecation and wistful regret is given more force than usual by the dirty, swirling sounds conjured on BURNING KINGDOM. The female lead vocal and pretty acoustic arrangement on "Renee Died 1:45" belie the song's dark subject matter.
The ambling, poetic "Drunk on the Stars" is driven by a combination of guitar feedback and rudimentary piano that keeps with the lyrical theme of reeling alienation. The almost middle-Eastern feel of songs like "My Family" and "My Shell" adds an air of mystery to the already brooding soundscape. Mark Eitzel's sad-sack songpoetry continues to be a valid touchstone for Callahan's thoughtful, introspective work.

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