One of the finest singer/songwriters to emerge from the indie rock scene of the late '80s, Bill Callahan uses the images of the American West in ruggedly thoughtful ways that speak to the present as well as the past. After releasing a string of critically acclaimed albums as , he began making music under his own name with 2007's Woke on a Whaleheart. The switch reflected how much richer and deeper his music had become over the years, both literally and figuratively: His songs were increasingly contemplative, while the drawl he used to deliver them grew lower and slower with time. On the albums that followed Whaleheart's flowing blend of country, funk, and soul, Callahan took his sparse yet evocative style in directions ranging from the gentle drift of 2009's Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle to the stark, driven meditations of 2011's Apocalypse. A new chapter of his music began with 2019's intimate Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest, which suggested that even a committed outsider like Callahan could find happiness. This warmth extended to less-overtly autobiographical albums like 2022's YTILAER and its accompanying live album, 2024's Resuscitate!