SMOG

Personnel: Bill Callahan (vocals, guitar, jaw harp, piano, Hammond B-3 organ, synthesizer, tapes); Jeff Parker (guitar); Matt Lux (upright & electric basses); John McEntire (drums, percussion); Rich Schuler (drums); Jennifer Collins, Nicole Evans, Damian Rogers (background vocals).

Engineers include: Phil Bonnet, Joe Dilillo, John McEntire.

These meandering tales of loyalty and betrayal will certainly hit the spot for Bill Callahan (a.k.a. Smog) devotees. Strip away the cheeky album title and it seems that Smog's world is as bleak and bloody as it ever was. Following the success of KNOCK KNOCK (Smog's relatively upbeat, polished set of "songs for teenagers"), DONGS OF SEVOTION reverts back to a more somber, sparser sound.

The uninitiated will enjoy catchy ditties like "Bloodflow," reminiscent of Jonathan Richman, and "Dress Sexy at My Funeral." The latter is a bona fide Smog classic featuring a ghostly Callahan instructing his wife to reveal her late husband's sexual prowess to the gathered mourners. Gallows humor is a Smog trademark. Featuring guest players from Tortoise, the album has an understated mood, often evoking the Velvet Underground's mellow third album--for example, opener "Justice Aversion" relies on a slow beat-box pattern and childish keyboard riff. It seems Callahan is constantly refining his art down to a simpler core; with DONGS OF SEVOTION he moves a step closer.

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