Bill Callahan – “Natural Information”

Next month, the sage songwriting legend Bill Callahan will release a new album with the difficult-to-type title YTI⅃AƎЯ. When he announced the LP, Callahan wrote that he “wanted to make a record that addressed or reflected the current climate,” and he’s specifically hoping to help people get out of their state of “hypnagogic rage.” To that end, Callahan already shared the single “Coyotes.” Today, he’s released another one.

Callahan’s new song “Natural Information” is a strummy, propulsive number with lyrics about its own creation: “I wrote this song in five and forever/ I’m writing it right now.” Callahan recorded the track with the same group of musicians who played on the rest of YTI⅃AƎЯ: guitarist Matt Kinsey, bassist and backing singer Emmett Kelly, pianist/backing singer Sarah Ann Phillips, drummer Jim White. The song also has buoyant horns from Carl Smith, and I think there’s a little kid in there on backing vocals at one point. It’s Callahan at his jauntiest. Listen to the song below.

Drag City also released a slowed-down, six hour version.

YTI⅃AƎЯ is out 10/14 digitally on Drag City, with physical editions coming 2/24/23.