Mick Harvey's third release in less than two years is one of the finest albums he has ever put his name to. Like his previous solo output, this album is largely composed of pristine covers with a couple of songs written by Harvey thrown in for good measure. Covering artists closer to his heart has resulted in a far stronger album than 2005's One Man's Treasure. As a Bad Seed too often overlooked, it is great to hear him produce such a gem.
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Harvey spends a sizeable chunk of the album paying tribute to Australian artists that have heavily influenced his own music from The Boys Next Door all the way up to his current work. Songs by The Saints, The Triffids and The Loved Ones are performed with great respect; The Saints' "Photograph" is a fantastic opener to Two of Diamonds. Harvey sounds completely at home here; the same loving treatment of these songs is present on this album like it was on his two Gainsbourg tribute albums. Another strong Aussie influence comes in the form of Simon Bonney, whose Crime and the City Solution featured Harvey heavily. The Crime song "Home is Far from Here" closes the album, Harvey's voice may not be as strong as Bonney's but he still infuses the song with the same power as the original.
His own songs stand proud amid all the other fine examples of songwriting on Two of Diamonds. It is always hard not to compare what Harvey does in his own time with his role in the Bad Seeds. While the two songs included here are unmistakably Harvey's work, he steps out further from Nick Cave's shadow here than he has before. "Blue Arrows" sounds very different from anything the Bad Seeds have done, the sentiment is the same but Harvey's arrangement is quite unlike anything from the eclectic repertoire of the Bad Seeds.
Overall, Two of Diamonds is a cracking album. Harvey sounds completely comfortable with all the songs, which all suit his voice perfectly. The self-penned songs in particular are very good; hopefully it will not be long before he puts together a complete album of original songs. Considering his role in the Bad Seeds does not seem to be as strong as it once was, it would not surprise me in the least if he concentrated on his solo work even more. If it results in more albums like this, I would be delighted if he took time out from the Bad Seeds to write and record more of his own material.
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