Saturday, September 12, 2009

Best of 2000s: Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Ballad of the Broken Seas (4.5/5)

Mark Lanegan's deep raspy voice and Isobel Campbell's sweet soprano go together like whiskey and coke on this moody, folksy collaboration. The songs, mostly written by Campbell, effectively traverse a range of styles while creating a cohesive package. Dark guitar and strings melodies underpin plaintive tracks like "Black Mountain" and "Revolver," while "The False Husband's" deep bass guitar invokes the old west. It's easy to compare Lanegan to Johnny Cash, particularly on opener "Deus Ibi Est" and strutting "Ramblin' Man." While brooding country-esque melodies are fun, Campbell and Lanegan can do sweet songs too, like love duet "(Do You Wanna) Come Walk With Me?" "Honey Child What Can I Do?" appealingly invokes '60s pop. This was not a major commercial album, although it did receive a Mercury Prize nomination. Definitely worth a listen.

Best: The False Husband, Honey Child What Can I Do?, Deus Ibi Est, Ramblin' Man, Black Mountain, (Do You Wanna) Come Walk with Me?

2 comments:

Myfizzypop said...

Never heard this - sought out a couple of tunes - LOVE IT! Thank you so much! Second brillo musical recommendation today from a blog (now check out Music Go Music on the project 76 blog on my sidebar!)

Cook In / Dine Out said...

Thanks Paul. I'm glad you like it. They did a second album together last year, but it wasn't nearly as good.