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Mark Lanegan is of course best known for his years as the vocalist
for the Screaming Trees. He has also been building a following for
the last 10 years with a number of remarkable solo records that
highlight his love for singer/songwriters, and American folk and
blues. This love for the rich history of American contemporary music
was showcased with his last album ' I'll Take Care of You' his fourth
solo release. The album focused on cover songs that Mark chose by
artists that have inspired and influenced him over the years.
Mark follows his last album with a stunning collection of songs
that demonstrates his continuing growth as an artist. Take 'Kimiko's
Dream House' for example, co-written with Jeffrey Lee Pierce of
Gun Club fame. Showing a level of control and artistry that few
ever hope to achieve, Mark weaves a new world around the listener.
Singing with a mixture of sadness and compassion, it is like having
a conversation with a long lost friend.
With this new album, Mark seems to have gone back through all his
previous work, and taken the best elements from each to create one
of the most fulfilled, and fulfilling, albums of his career. He
accomplished this with longtime collaborator Mike Johnson (Dinosaur
Jr.) who brings the understated magic one has come to expect of
him over the years, and Ben Shepherd (Soundgarden) whose contribution
is immeasurable.
Trying to describe the power of Mark's voice is not an easy task,
but to paraphrase Fred Neil, he sure can sing the shit out of a
song. |
