But there is no trace of a self-pitying whine in this plaintive lament; he states his condition matter-of-factly, in that low-tone stage whisper of his. It’s how someone speaks when they’re having a confidential phone call at 2 a.m. and don’t want the person next to them to hear the particulars. Which of course only makes that other person eavesdrop harder. It’s, frankly, an astonishing “lean in” vocal technique he’s only gotten better at applying with each record. Bill Callahan could sing the ingredients of Stove Top Stuffing and make it feel like he was revealing the sorriest thing he ever did, long ago, in a different life.