Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees, Gutter
Twins, Queens of the Stone Age) applies his iconic voice to some crooning classics in this new covers album. Mixing new artists with
oldies yields mixed results.
Former Screaming Trees singer Mark
Lanegan can be many things to many people. Some see him as an
underrated grunge survivor, some a noir-blues pioneer, and others
still a gruff modern troubadour. It is that last persona that Langean
leans heavily on for Imitations, his second album for 2013.
Whereas Black Pudding tried its hand at minimalist nocturnal
rock this is a showcase for
the gentler side of his nature. As the title may suggest, Imitations
is a covers album and it features tunes from Frank Sinatra, Andy
Williams, and John Cale. These are songs that are near and dear to
the singer's heart and he tackles them with the right amounts of
shmaltz and gusto.
The stripped back arrangements put the
focus almost entirely on Lanegan's famously haggard voice. It is a supple
instrument and applies itself well to the task. Frank Sinatra's
'Pretty Colors', given a light psychedelic treatment, is played back
to back with his daughter's famous Bond theme 'You Only Live Twice'
in a nice bit of synergy. The decision to take some older, classic
crooners and mix them with some young blood (Chelsea Wolfe, The
Twilight Singers, Nick Cave) gives the album a timeless feeling.
While some of the song choices are inspired the approach taken in the
renditions raise some pertinent questions. When you take Bobby
Darin's 'Mack the Knife', one of the most vicious and best pop songs
of the 20th century, and pare it down to an acoustic
lullaby you are bound to get a mixed reaction. Its a good performance
but it makes you wonder how much better it could have worked as a
sleazy big band revue.
Your appreciation of this album will
hinge on how much you enjoy Lanegan as an easy listening revivalist.
He is well up to the task as his trio of records with Isobel Campbell
from 2006 and 2010 can attest. If you are after a gentle, pretty
listening experience then this album might just be for you; it has
enough cred to be cool while being friendly enough to play to your
grandmother. If you are looking for the next Gutter Twins album or
Dust volume 2, then Imitations will leave you sorely
disappointed.
Rating: B-
Recommended tracks: Pretty Colors, Mack
the Knife (I still love this song despite the lackluster arrangement)
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