Sister: Similar drone to Big Blue Sea, but there is a funeral familiarity to this one. Maybe the most gothic sounding song on the album. I see what's he's going for here, but this song doesn't really excite me. I don't dislike it, and if it was part of a stronger run of songs I'd probably enjoy it more as a cooldown/transition piece. But there are so many slow drones on this album it sort of feels slightly redundant even though it's not. The instrument moaning during the bridge (not sure what it is-some sort of woodwind) is nice, and I like the outro. As per my comment in Big Blue Sea, this would have benefited from being about 30-45 seconds shorter.

If this album was 6-7 songs long I think this would be a stronger song, as well. When I eventually just start listening to my favorites I should throw this into the mix and see if I feel differently about it

Emperor: I flat out dislike this song. I don't like the petulant tone on the guitar, the vocal melody isn't interesting, and the lyrics are bad. Easily the low point on the album

Goodbye to Beauty: This is a song we've heard him do a million times before, and with far more dexterity, beauty, power, and thoughtfulness. This song is also really out of place on the album, and the larger aesthetic that surrounds it (and bleeds into the recording) do not mix well with this song (this needs to sound either lush or stark, and not have the flat, shiny, metallic sound of the record. This is not an album for ballads). The emperor is a worse song, and it's not that this song is bad. It's just totally unnecessary, and suffers for the similarity to other, better songs. It wouldn't shock me to find out that this was written at the last moment to get to ten songs

Drunk on Destruction: There are some catchy moments that would have popped with more interesting music, but instead there is something somewhat generic and perfunctory about this song.


This is a rough stretch, and it completely derails the curious momentum the album has during the first 4-5 songs.

First Day of Winter: See everything I wrote about Goodbye to Beauty. This would have worked much better if he stuck with the southern style that informs the writing (through a slide guitar in there instead of whatever he's using). It's better than Goodbye to Beauty, though, and like Sister, might feel stronger if this was an EP instead of track 9 and the endpoint of a slog.


Old Swan: This is a curious song. It's going for an epic feel, and is totally compressed, but still feels liberated. I can't think of many songs he has where the song is aiming to capture that newfound experience of freedom (this song is to Mark Lanegan what Backspacer was to Pearl Jam in that respect). Given the statement he's making, and how great the music is, I wish this had lyrics that were up to the task. Mark's closing tracks tend to not live up to the songs that precede them. This is definitely one of the better ones he's written.


Final thoughts:

If this was an EP it would be much stronger. The mood created in the first 4 songs works to enhance the component parts, but the back half of the album (I may or may not put sister in that group) is pretty scattershot and inconsistent in terms of tone, and it also takes some of the air out Old Swan, which is much more powerful coming off of songs that really embrace the aesthetic of the record, rather than forcing into onto songs where it doesn't belong.

There are a number of very solid songs, and it's an album that works better as an album rather than as a collection of songs. It has a cohesiveness that Phantom Radio (which I prefer overall) does not have


In a way I can't quite pinpoint this album feels really indebted to Quiver Syndrome, which is not my favorite of Lanegan's faster songs.

Mark is very one note on this album, which works on the droning songs, but doesn't serve the ballads, and makes the album feel longer than it is

Mark is a great example of how being prolific really helps you appreciate albums. A number of his last few albums (Phantom Radio, Gargoyle, the one he did with Duke Garwood, his last record with Isobel Campbell) each have a few songs I like a lot and a lot of stuff I never listen to, and it's never a problem. I am just grateful for the additions that I like, and wait for the next entry. No pressure.

Time to rank all the mark lanegan albums


The very best

Bubblegum
Sweet Oblivion (Trees)
Here Comes that Weird Chill (ep)
Broken (Soulsavers)
Dust (Trees)
Blues Funeral
Whisky for the Holy Ghost
Field Songs


The mid tier

It's Not How Far You Fall, It's the Way You Land (Soulsavers)
Scraps at Midnight
Has God Seen My Shadow (anthology album)
Ballad of the Broken Seas (Isobel Campbell)
Houston Demos
Saturnalia (Gutter Twins)
Phantom Radio
Dry Iced (ep)
Hawk (Isobel Campbell)
I'll Take Care of You
Gargoyle
Uncle Anesthesia (Trees)
Last Words (Trees)
The Winding Sheet
Keep Me In Mind Sweetheart (Isobel Campbell ep)


One or two good songs

Black Pudding (Duke Garwood)
A Thousand Miles to Midnight (remixes)
Imitations
Sunday at Devil Dirt (Isobel Campbell)
Buzz Factory (Trees)
Invisible Lantern (Trees)
Even if and Especially When (Trees)
Dark Mark Does Christmas
Other Worlds (Trees ep)
Clairvoyance (Trees ep)

what a prolific fucker he is. That's to say nothing of the 30 plus songs that aren't on an album.

he certainly is. for some reason I forgot that I saw him with Soulsavers in 2007. There must have been less than 100 people there.

same. my only time seeing him

I've seen him twice with the Trees in 95 then with QOTSA in 2001 and maybe 2003/4

The new one keeps growing on me. I still believe that it gets better in the second half, but I'm starting to appreciate the first tracks. I really love Goodbye to Beauty, it sounds great.
I do sorta agree with Stip about the influence of Quiver Syndrome in this album, but that's one of my favorite Lanegan songs, so I have no problem with that.

I listened to the first few tracks of the Phantom Radio remixes album and I could barely make it through the "I am the Wolf" remix, it was awful.

Exactly why I've never dug deep into Lanegan. Too much stuff to sort through. Thanks stip! Just added Bubblegum and Blues Funeral to my collection. Will report back soon.

Both great choices. If you like Bubblegum you'll like Blues Funeral. It might be worth checking out Whisky for the Holy Ghost or Field Songs to see his softer side.

and actually, if you like Bubblegum check out Here Comes that Weird Chill - the companion EP that might be even better, and has what may well be my favorite Lanegan song (wish you well)

Oh I love Bubblegum, btw. Immediately reminds me of PJ Harvey's Uh Huh Her, also Breeders Mountain Battles a little bit. Great, great stuff.

she sings on Hit the City and Come to Me, if you couldn't tell

why doesn't he join qotsa again already

Ha, didn't even catch this. Maybe subconsciously I did?

I get the impression Josh wants to be the man. Don't think the invite is there.

I wish he'd bring back Nick and Mark

The Death Trip remix is quite good indeed.

Im loving Gargoyle on vinyl. Sounds pretty good, and i think is a way stronger and more focused album than PR, although that one come to life again these last weeks because of the remix album.

Gargoyle is pretty cool.