Albums to watch

Dream River

Bill Callahan

Dream River

Fifth album of mellow indie rock and Americana under his own name from the singer-songwriter formerly known as Smog

ADM rating[?]

7.8

Label
Drag City
UK Release date
16/09/2013
US Release date
17/09/2013
  1. 10.0 |   Mojo

    May be Callahan's most beguiling album yet
    Read Review

  2. 9.1 |   A.V. Club

    This is Callahan at his most elemental
    Read Review

  3. 9.0 |   Bowlegs

    If you are willing to let him take you on a journey, it’s one you’ll revisit for life
    Read Review

  4. 9.0 |   Uncut

    Among Callahan's very best. Print edition only

  5. 9.0 |   No Ripcord

    On Dream River, he doesn’t seem bound by any borders, geographic or temporal, he’s simply tapped into concepts that are distinctly human -- relatable on every level, to any person, during any set time period
    Read Review

  6. 8.6 |   Beats Per Minute

    Dream River is as evocative a record as he’s ever made and that’s saying quite a lot
    Read Review

  7. 8.5 |   The Quietus

    Nearly 25 years into his career Callahan is making music as thoughtful and robust as ever, and damn, it's good to have him around
    Read Review

  8. 8.5 |   Pitchfork

    He challenged himself to make a more subdued record where the only percussion comes from hand drums and brushes, but he’s challenging himself thematically, too
    Read Review

  9. 8.5 |   The Line Of Best Fit

    Musically, Dream River sticks calmly to understated Americana, generally managing to pull off Lambchop’s neat one-inch punch trick – seemingly effortless and gentle, only to echo with far more drama and beautifully powerful resonance.
    Read Review

  10. 8.0 |   PopMatters

    While Bill Callahan might be the focus of the album, a lot of praise goes to Matt Kinsey, whose guitar on the bluesy “Spring” or constantly mobile “Ride My Arrow” could have single-handedly carried those tracks if needed to.
    Read Review

  11. 8.0 |   Q

    Imagery and music intertwine elegantly on Small Plane and The Sing and if it's not up there with Callahan's very best work, Dream River still runs deep. Print edition only

  12. 8.0 |   Independent on Sunday

    With each release it becomes clearer that Callahan is the natural successor to Leonard Cohen (yup, that good)
    Read Review

  13. 8.0 |   The Observer

    Callahan is even better – his voice deeper, his hand steadied by years of operating, and his words now functioning as though synchromeshed with the music
    Read Review

  14. 8.0 |   The Independent

    Pastoral metaphors predominate
    Read Review

  15. 8.0 |   NME

    Something sinister lurks in the depths of Dream River
    Read Review

  16. 8.0 |   Paste Magazine

    Callahan has used his art to make sense of the world, and in turn helps us make some sense of it, too
    Read Review

  17. 8.0 |   Spin

    Flows from one track to the next, with a similarity of tempo that makes it play like eight movements of one 40-minute son
    Read Review

  18. 8.0 |   Consequence Of Sound

    He started out a genius, but he became a professional, a trait never as clear as on Dream River
    Read Review

  19. 8.0 |   Clash

    Represents another exercise in genius songwriting and production from the Maryland native
    Read Review

  20. 7.0 |   Rolling Stone

    His music is loose and rustic, his writing skirts the heart of the matter instead of bulldozing into it
    Read Review

  21. 7.0 |   All Music

    With Dream River, fans already know what to expect from the man lyrically, and it can't be argued with qualitatively. When you place those lyrics in the context of something so subtly adventurous musically, the result is both engaging and seductive
    Read Review

  22. 6.0 |   Time Out

    A very coherent, listenable album somehow lacking in emotional peaks and troughs
    Read Review

  23. 6.0 |   musicOMH

    One of the most uneven and unsatisfying in recent memory from Callahan
    Read Review

  24. 6.0 |   Drowned In Sound

    When the voice, the story, the music and the piece come together it feels like a great record. It is a great record, at times. But when the elements don’t quite chime it suffers
    Read Review

  25. 6.0 |   The Skinny

    Dream River isn't without its high points, but it adds little to his songbook
    Read Review

  26. 5.0 |   Under The Radar

    While the songs on Dream River aren't what anyone would consider pedestrian, they don't feel particularly daring or weighty
    Read Review


blog comments powered by Disqus

Watch it

Roll over video for more options

Hear it

Latest Reviews

More reviews