Blues Funeral - 2 LPs

...and I'm only once through it. I'll keep this short & sweet. If you're a fan of Lanegan/the Trees, you know who you are. IGNORE, repeat ignore, the apathetic Pitchfork review, or whatever other hipster nonsense you may stumble across on the fabled ol' interwebs. This is spectacular. It's like a culmination of everything Lanegan's ever done, kinda like Tom Waits' latest was like a run through of everything he'd ever tried all on one album. Blues Funeral has everything you loved from the Trees days, everything from Bubblegum, everything from Scraps...you get the picture. His voice, his ultimate instrument, gets richer with each passing year, and these songs really stick. They are instantly memorable, they pack a punch; they are, to quote a review of something I read years ago, I can't remember what, a case of instant-just-can't-get-enough. There's even some freaky 80's style new wave thrown in. It's Mark's most confident and intoxicating work in years; that's saying something indeed. If you're a fan, don't hesitate. Just dive in. You'll thank me for it.

With this album Mark Lanegan treads new ground, but the album is unmistakably a Mark Lanegan album. His trademark gorgeous voice is in top form, sounding better than ever, perhaps as a result from his quitting smoking. The vocals on "St. Louis Elegy" send chills down my spine every time I hear it. Lyrically the album covers familiar ground as well, with imagery of birds, flowers, and of course the usual coverage of dark subject matter and bleak mood you would expect from Mark. The newness of the album comes from the electronic instrumentation, which was featured but not predominant in Bubblegum, but is heavy on this album. I definitely see the influence of his time with the Soulsavers, so fans of that project should love this as well. But the album does not rely only on electronic sound; the blues is still there on songs like "Bleeding Muddy Water", "St. Louis Elegy" and "Phantasmagoria Blues", and "Riot In My House" and "Quiver Syndrome" rock as hard as "Sideways In Reverse" or "Driving Death Valley Blues" from Bubblegum. "Grey Goes Black" even seems reminiscent of the early Screaming Trees records. But heavily electronic songs like "Harborview Hospital", "Tiny Grain of Truth", and "Ode to Sad Disco" are equally as beautiful and addictive. All of these various sounds and influences flow seamlessly though, creating a cohesive album where each song is strong individually, but when listened all the way through in order it becomes something greater, like any great album should do. I'd say Mark's jump into new territory paid off, as this is a brilliant and beautiful album that I will be listening to non-stop for quite a while.

Blues Funeral is the first Mark Lanegan solo album since 2004's critically acclaimed Bubblegum. Despite a lengthy break Lanegan's prolific work rate has been in full force, with guest spots and collaborations with the likes of Queens of the Stone Age, Isobel Campbell, the Gutter Twins, Soulsavers and Bomb the Bass. Blues Funeral is an equally familiar and surprising evolution in Lanegan's remarkable, if still underappreciated solo career. Lanegan is in fine form and his vocals seem to get better with age; a rich, world-weary growl with stunning control and depth. His fruitful artistic endeavours are reflected throughout Blues Funeral, unearthing some of his most adventurous song-writing amidst an impressive cast of contributors. Guests include Jack Irons, Chris Goss, Greg Dulli and multi-instrumentalist and production wizard Alain Johannes who rubber stamps Lanegan's superb arrangements with warm, textured production.

The biggest surprise is the increased integration of electronic textures and synth-pop influence. This works particularly well on the mesmerising 'Ode to Sad Disco' and the darkly upbeat `Harborview Hospital'. Elsewhere Lanegan delves into more familiar territory on the brooding, bluesy balladry of `Phantasmagoria Blues' and the sublime `St Louis Elegy'. `Riot in my House' is a delightfully raucous rocker with an inspired guest appearance by guitarist Joshua Homme. `Quiver Syndrome' follows a similarly rockier path, while `Gray goes Black' is shady pop-rock brilliance. The varied instrumentation and rich dynamics are complimented by an inspired collection of genuinely memorable, engaging songs.

The gloomy atmosphere of Blues Funeral; and its accompanying lyrical bent of dark imagery, despair and regret is offset by a lilting sense of hope and redemption, maintaining a darker edge without sounding depressing or one-dimensional. Lanegan has created one of his most accomplished efforts; an album that transcends genres and trends, carving its own unique path of musical growth, artistic integrity and gritty resolve. Blues Funeral is destined to become a modern classic.