Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle

Callahan's one of those figures who's always been there in the margins for me, first as Smog ("Cold Blooded Old Times"!) and more recently under his own name, but Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle is the first of his albums that I've listened to properly - it was a gift from Wei some considerable time back. I like it - the songs are imbued with a gentle weariness that comes with the territory with this kind of male folk-influenced troubadour, but amidst the consistency of that mood, there are some genuine peaks. Possibly this is an odd comparison - certainly, it's a bit of a personal one - but at its best, this album reminds me of Pearl Jam's take on "Crazy Mary", which I've always loved.