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Title: (reviewed as if part of the Lanegan catalog)
Review: Pairing up Mark Lanegan's leathery croak with a trip-hop deconstruction of dustbowl gospel was a sheer stroke of genius. Lanegan furthers his bid to be the heir to Tom Waits' misanthropic, sycophantic mantle while pushing his songwriting in new directions. The restlessness evident on his recent solo recordings and work with artists as diverse as PJ Harvey, QOTSA and Greg Dulli finds another paving stone to push off of with UK production team Soulsavers. Murky cobwebs of soundscapes perfectly underpin stories of loss, regret, and religious ambivalence. The drawback of the album is, despite savvy cover choices (Neil Young's "Through My Sails," The Rolling Stones' "No Expectations," and Lanegan's own "Kingdoms of Rain"), Lanegan veers dangerously close to becoming a song stylist. Gritty metaphor and resolute, forward momentum has always been the singer's strength, falling back on hoary chestnuts threatens to be his downfall.
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