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Album Details

• Artist: Jeff Callahan
• Album: Woebegone
• Label: Misanthrope
• Year of Release: 2004
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: EsteeS on 2005-01-08

"My decision to become a singer/songwriter was really born out of a desire to have an immediate response to my writings."(Geoff Wilbur's Renegade Newsletter)

Jeff Callahan said it, and all I can say is that it shows. Often, music that is more focused on lyrics can be pulled off. Connor Oberst of Bright Eyes and Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessional pull it off quite nicely, but unfortunately, Jeff Callahan can not.

It's hard to say exactly why; Jeff's heavy but unaffected voice could be part of why the lyrics are so hard to listen to. He also persistently uses metaphors associated with the raw countryside of his hometown in New Jersey that seem to be there for the effect. Striving for his music to resemble Appalachian folk tunes.

The worst part of this album though, is the way he manipulates metaphors to try to sound intellectual and rhyme at the same time, "Milk on the table, spiced wine on the shelf. How can I forgive myself?" (Stepping Stone)

And any musician that sounds this English, and just so happens to be American (excluding The Decembrists) loses points quick, as the English don't deserve a dent in their quite solid reputation.

The best track on this album, "Courting Delirium," was mistakenly placed first on the album, creating a long, depressing ride downwards.

Basically, this has been done, many times before, but with good lyrics and an array of melodies that keep the music interesting. Mixing music and poetry is an extremely hard thing to pull off, one that that Jeff Callahanjust doesn't seem to be capable of.

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