The former frontman of the Screaming Trees has been doing work since at least the early 1990’s. His new has some reviewers saying this is a “blues” album which isn’t entirely true. Sure, he’s working a lot of blues-like themes of hangover & heartache (the same thing?) but there’s too much loud guitar fuzz in a lot places to call it purely “blues”.

Genre assocations notwithstanding, this is a very fine American singer-songwriter/rock action with some fuzzed out guitar/hard rock moments. Lanegan’s greatest strength is that husky voice that on the slower songs is incredibly complelling. The cameos by PJ Harvey, Greg Dulli work out well instead of falling into “too many cooks in the kitchen” territory. Overall, very worthwhile.

((((1)))) Sad piano twinkling, then slow pitter-patter beat ‘ala Low, low almost droning keyboards, acoustic guitar and Lanegan’s awesome, well-worn voice.
(((2))) Pretty nice, mid-paced duet with PJ Harvey.
((((3)))) Another duet with PJ Harvey that starts with slow electronic noodling with click-track beat. Kinda modern country/blues & folk styled The best parts of this are the vocals. Especially where he sings words like “burn” and “sorrows”. You just have to hear it! Nice J. Mascis like solo...I wonder if this is Josh Homme?
(((4))) Thudding industrial beat with simple fuzz-rock tempo. Normally this kinda thing just falls flat and screams “lame-ass beer commercial” (I just get the feeling for some reason) but Lanegan & make it work out OK.
(((((5))))) Slow, strumming with just incredible, compelling sounds in just the sheer minimalism of it. Modern-western twang folk/pop with druggy lyrics. This should belong in a road movie.
((((6))))) Even slower acoustic ballad & pretty ‘lil duet with PJ Harvey. Almost sounds like it’s improvised & totally right in front of you. Or at least watching the movie scene where their singing this in the bed at the Lucky U Motel. Excellent!
(((((7))))) Simple folk/pop formula of I-IV-V chords and gorgeous yet mellancholly feeling. I’m guessing but this seems to be a duet with Greg Dulli.
(((8))) The total opposite of the last few numbers. Uptempo loud & strumming with almost a Jesus & Mary Chain meets Iggy Pop feeling. Almost too simple but it kinda works.
((((9)))) Twangy, glistening chords and hey...it’s another great duet with PJ Harvey. Fucking amazing guitar work in this one - kinda country yet kinda psychedelic.
(((10))) Weird psychedelic western quasi-blues weirdness. Aside from the keyboards & vocals this doesn’t really work.
((((11)))) Static, bouncy beat, random chaotic sounds and vocals that sound almost like (holy shit!) Thin Lizzy’s vocal god, Phil Lynott! (and a little Elvis Costello but I’m hearing more Phil than Elvis) along with some tasty guitar wailing.
((((12)))) Shimmery echoed/reverbed guitar, a nice ballad. Strangely enough like an old and rather good Dire Staits tune.
(((13))) Glitch (?) were did that come from? Then a re-working of Status Quo’s “Pictures Of Matchstick Men” riff with some pretty cool psych/fuzz rock sounds. In a better world this could be a major hit.
(((14))) Weird drum n’ bass (jungle?) beat into loud, fuzzed out hard rock with a lotta guitar wailing and 70’s style keyboards.
((((15)))) Folksy/western twang with great piano playing and the feeling of passing by a forest of Saguaro somewhere outside Tucson.