Isobel Campbell once played in Belle and Sebastian; she describes her voice as angelic. Mark Lanegan fronted Screaming Trees and played with Queens of the Stone Age; his voice is dark and rough, channeling Leonard Cohen and Nick Cave. Together, they make incredible music. Recording Ballad of the Broken Seas often apart from one another, the theme that strings these tracks together is distance. When Lanegan asks, "Where have you been, my darling/Where have you been, my friend," on "The False Husband," it is possible that he is singing of a lover miles away on the "broken seas." But what seems more likely is that the distance that exists here is one of a failure to communicate. The way their two voices clash, yet blend so beautifully, suggests the story of a relationship, with both parties holding out despite what they know will be the inevitable end. The story is heartbreaking and gorgeous. The record's first half is about sadness, yet by the time a Hank Williams cover rolls around, Lanegan is completely unapologetic about his failings - "I love you baby/But you must understand/When the lord made me/He made a ramblin' man." A song later, however (on "Come Walk with Me"), both are agreeing that they can't "say they'll be true," but declare, "you're my guiding north star/and my love travels with you wherever you are." Instrumental "It's Hard to Kill a Bad Thing" (with its pretty strings and acoustic guitar) and "Honey Child What Can I Do" take an optimistic, upbeat tone, and by album's end it seems like they are going to try and make things work.
Ultimately this record tells the story of two who cannot live with one another, but cannot stand the idea of being apart. The pairing of Campbell and Lanegan is an unlikely one, but works better than one could possibly imagine. It is rare these days for records to tell stories, but this is one you can really get lost in.
4 (out of 5)
::1 Related Link::
1•Isobel Campbell's My Space Page
6 comments:
Excellent review, yet more music I was ignorant of until I read about it here, I will check it out.
I like your updated cool/ not cool sidebar as well, it's a relief to see no stapp.
Glad I can reccomend good things.
Yeah, we try and keep the sidebar up-to-date - Stapp is permanently uncool, but you got to give other people attention to.
I haven't yet heard this cd, but am curious, if only to hear how it differs from her work with Belle and Sebastian. I was disturbed to hear that Isobel was also romantically linked with the Screaming Trees guy, I guess I have not yet forgiven her for breaking Stuart Murdoch's heart.
I think this record is really interesting, and definetley differs from her work with B&S. Sad that she broke Murdoch's heart, but it may have inspired some great music from him.
It is very different from B&S. After I commented here, I checked out Isobel's My Space which you had linked and had a listen. I have to say I was a little disappointed that she seemed to primarily provide backup (at least on the cuts featured), as I was hoping she would use her considerable voice more prominently.
But yes, you are right, I guess she did inspire B&S's I'm Waking Up To US, which is a raw heartbreaker.
I agree about the My Space page - they made some odd choices. My favorites on the album are absolutely where there two voices blend, as opposed to him dominating. She takes lead on a couple as well - those ones are very pretty.
Post a Comment