For their last two albums Soulsavers (the partnership between Rich Machin and Ian Glover) had partnered up with 90s cult hero Mark Lanegan and the results spoke for themselves. Lanegan's sombre croon led the pair down the haunted alleyways of broke-down Americana and the music they made together was as bleak as it was emotionally stirring. Their previous album, 2009's phenomenal Broken, was also notable for the inclusion of the guest vocalists they got on board; including Gibby Haynes from Butthole Surfers, Richard Hawley, and Mike Patton along with newcomer Red Ghost. Three years can make a huge difference, the most primary of which is in the personnel. Lanegan (and, in fact, all vocalists) has been replaced by Depeche Mode's David Gahan for The Light The Dead See. At first this might seem a shocking about-face for Soulsavers, a move that throws their existing canon of work out the window, but the change-up is more logical and makes more sense on wax than it ever could on paper.
It is hard not compare this new album
with its predecessor. Both open with dusty instrumental intros; one
featuring a piano, the other a harmonica and strings. When Gahan
enters he plays the part of the melodramatic specter with gusto. He
might not be as gravelly as Lanegan (because honestly who is?) but
the experience ingrained in his voice suits Soulsavers style of
uplifting depression superbly. The middle passage of The Light The
Dead See wallows in acoustic guitar-led ruminations with a trio of
tracks ('Presence Of God', 'Just Try', and 'Gone Too Far'). The
latter number builds up tides of organ wash and rapturous guitar fuzz
into a majestic crescendo, Gahan soaring to new heights with his best
Ian Astbury impression. You will be hard pressed to find an album
this year with the same gravitas and grit that you find all through
here.
Song titles like 'Presence Of God' and
'Bitterman' (which is the diabolical splicing of Leonard Cohen and
Nick Cave) should be a less than subtle clue of the mood the album is
trying to set. More traditional rockier songs like closing number 'Tonight' almost
seem out of place on a record like this, as welcome as it is; a
concession to the casual listener that has been alienated by the
oceans of brooding melancholy but kept listening anyway. Gospel tones
mesh organically with trip-hop atmospherics and spare jazz
arrangements to make wonderfully rich, moody music to feed your soul
– or perhaps to save it. The Light The Dead See is an album
tailor-made to put on while you sit in the dark, scotch in hand, and
let your mind drift away to another time and place.
Rating: A
Recommended tracks: Gone Too Far, Bitterman, In The Morning
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