Dongs of Sevotion
Over the years, Bill Callahan (who is Smog) has evolved as a songwriter and record maker. His early work was scattered, filled with incomplete thoughts and lo-fi concerns. But withThe Doctor Came at Dawn,  he began crafting songs that on the surface wafted by with secure grace but underneath told tales of severe jealousy and disorder.  ForDongs of Sevotion, he continues this fascination with unlikable characters.  The opening cut, "Justice Aversion," explains things perfectly: "I root for the underdog / No matter who they are." Then the songs and disgraceful characters proceed.  There's the guy who thinks only about his wife dressing sexily at his funeral and the one who brags about his ability to "hold a woman down on a hardwood floor."  Recorded with four different engineers, the sound shifts from the solitary doom of Callahan and his keyboard to the unexpected near-soul groove of "Strayed." But no matter what he does, Callahan still sounds likeLeonard Cohen's stepson trying to get a rise out of his old man.--Rob O'Connor