“Black is a colour, black is my name”, sings Mark Lanegan in ‘Harvest Home’, the first of the ten tracks making up the prolific singer’s most recent album. Lanegan, though of rockier origins, has collaborated with a number of leading electronic musicians, but here he opts to have a go himself as a producer, introducing synths and more processed beats to his music for the first time by way of apps on his phone. It works really well, and instead of the heavier set music Lanegan has made with the likes of Soulsavers and Bomb The Bass we get a lighter outlook. This is quite deceptive given his typically dark lyrics, but it’s good to hear the higher end of his voice in redemption-themed songs. ‘Torn Red Heart’ and the sprawling ‘Death Trip To Tulsa’ are standout songs, but ‘Harvest Home’ itself is a good idea of the positive impact this album can make. Only occasionally do the synths sound self-conscious, for most of the time Lanegan moulds them around his ever-distinctive voice. Let’s hope he travels further down this electronic road on future releases.
4 out of 5
Reviewed by Ben Hogwood
{http://soundcloud.com/the_sons_of_the_smiths/sets/mark-lanegan-band-phantom}
