The Rock and Roll hall of fame should rightly hold a spot for Mark Lanegan. The Washington born singer started out with the Screaming Trees, the Seattle band who rode the grunge wave of the 90’s with their incorporation of 70’ psychedelia into the bluesy hard rock that made albums “sweet Oblivion” and “Dust” such big sellers. A big part of the Trees power existed in its frontman, his voice to be exact. Lanegan is in possession of one of the most identifiable voices is rock music today, a big bruised howl that lent weight to the backwoods folk of his solo albums such as whiskey for the holy ghost” and the gentle croon that made the dynamic of “Ballad Of The Broken Seas” the mercury prize nominated collaboration with belle and Sebastian’s Isobel Campbell so sublimely beautiful.
“Blues funeral” is lanegans first solo album in eight years since 2004’s Bubblegum and was recorded with producer and long-time friend Alain Johannes (who produced Lanegan’s Gutter Twins collaboration with the Afghan Whigs Greg Dulli). Originally intended to reflect the darker influence of lanegans love for drum machines and synths it’s a shame that while this new injection of sounds is admirable the desired effect is anything but exciting.
Blues Funeral opens with the cantankerous grumble of “The Gravediggers Song” with its rhythmic rumble and the low rasp of Lanegan’s vocal failing to do anything more than sound like an apologetic warm up. “Blues funeral “on initial listens seems to be split into two sounds. On one hand you have the hoary blues rock with quasi industrial beats underpinning distorted guitars (“Riot in my house” and “Quiver Syndrome” being the guilty offenders here) to down tempo sombre songs which meander along waiting to finish, Lengthy jams which show up the alarming fact that judging him on his later work, mark lanegan isn’t that great a songwriter. Too content to rely on clichés of redemption and guilt, lyrical themes he has spent most of his solo career writing about. This soon becomes quite tiresome and the whole record starts to amble where it should stride and ultimately drags along to its finish
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It isn’t all drawn out musical wandering though as “Blues funeral” shows glimpses of what a great record this could have been. The synth pop undertones of album highlight “Ode to sad disco” boost the song to anthemic highs showing that out of his comfort zone of murky, swampy blues rock lanegan confidently swims instead of drowning.
It can never be said that Mark Lanegan isn’t a good vocalist; he is one of the greatest singers in rock music, gifted with a tone of voice which captivates in its cracked baritone. The voice has proven this throughout countless songs on previous solo records and collaborative efforts. This will be always be recognised but unfortunately on “blues funeral” it isn’t enough.
If Mark lanegan doesn’t have the quality of songs to back this voice up, “Blues Funeral” will always be the lazy sound of a musical comfort zone and laurels being rested on.
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