Bill Callahan – Union Chapel, London, 19/08/09

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Perhaps I was expecting too much. The tantalising combination of Maryland’s foremost provider of baritone alt-folk and London’s most gorgeous venue promised a show that would linger in the memory for long thereafter, but ultimately transpired to be a decent performance that lacked the spark that elevates a good gig into a great one.

Support act Sophia Knapp was your basic female troubadour by numbers; although hints of something more intriguing occasionally broke through the general dampness of her songwriting, an unhealthy disregard for brevity made her half-hour set a chore. She also made a brief and forgettable appearance during Bill Callahan’s ‘The Wind & The Dove’, which certainly didn’t stand as one of the highlights of the night. But that apart, there were plenty of worthwhile moments from the man formerly known as Smog.

Drawing upon his formidable back-catalogue as well as his latest effort Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle, Callahan, looking more youthful than his 43 years and a shedload of depression would suggest, instils his alt-folk with a quiet charm that suits his music well. At the core of his appeal is his distinctive baritone; worldly but less weathered than the likes of Mark Lanegan, the marvellous timbre of his voice is augmented by his nonchalant, almost deadpan style of delivery. Indeed, it’s so distinctive that to swamp it under instrumental frippery, no matter how accomplished, seems to miss the point a little. That’s not say the arrangements weren’t good – the violin flourishes (for example, the subtle trills on ‘Our Anniversary’) were particularly well-judged but the unsubtle drums overwhelmed rather than complimented Callahan’s vocals and the cello seemed a little heavy-handed at times. To that end, I suspect some of the songs may have worked better completely solo or at least in a more stripped-down fashion- as the old cliché goes, sometimes less is more.

Also disappointing was that, despite some touching moments, the music simply never truly engaged me on an emotional level. I’m not sure if that was down to Callahan’s stoicism or the slightly echoey mix, but I left the show feeling distinctly unmoved. A solid performance for sure, but one that didn’t reach the heights one might have expected from such an exceptional talent.