After the supposedly appetite-whetting Here Comes That Weird Chillleft me cold, I had doubts about the latest Mark Lanegan direction,marked by the Band credit added to his name. Luckily, the latest recordis a realization of the best parts of that release, also making it afull-fledged rebirth for Lanegan as a solo artist. I heard someScreaming Trees songs not too long ago, and I remembered thinking thatit was great to hear his voice, since he used to sing in thatband. Lately, his performances had almost become a parody ofthemselves, with the broken-glass-embedded-in-the-throat routinebecoming the height of his regimen. Now, though, he's like a chameleon,changing his skin and styles on nearly every track, and he's singingfrom places I haven't heard in years. Sure, the broken glass routine isstill about, but it's also tempered with a beauty and an earnestness inthe middle of all the shifts of fancy. The backing band is stilldisparate, with Josh Homme and Nick Oliveri on a few tracks, Greg Dullihere and there, and even Polly Jean Harvey on the swaggering "Hit theCity." It works big time, and the whole package is a wild ride throughthe psyche of a man who is finally hitting a new stride. "One HundredDays" is the track that brings it all together, with Lanegan'splaintive vocal and gentle guitars loping into view to start. When therest of the band joins in, the song takes the money and runs, and theharmonies are pure sweetness. There are great moments of somber likethis throughout the record, like the opening "When Your Number Isn'tUp" and "Strange Religion," and they're never faked or rushed. Whatreally picks it up and gets the blood going is the bombast, like on"Sideways in Reverse," where the banging drums and energy are in fullforce, or the breakbeat weirdness of "Can't Come Down." It's a greatmix of the high and low, and maybe it's the fact that Lanegan soundsfree or released that makes the passion or honesty more palpable. He'son the next level finally, after struggling a little bit, and ready towow again. Read More
