Mark Lanegan Has A Blues Funeral

Most of you should know by now who Mark Lanegan is. The former front man of Screaming Trees has had a long and winding road of a career that went from being a star of grunge to a solo artist who's worked with the queen of twee, Isobel Campbell. Over the years, Lanegan's voice and songs have only gotten stronger and his latest album, Blues Funeral is no different.

Now known as The Mark Lanegan Band, Lanegan and his cohorts have created a record that's dark, heavy and even a bit electronic. This, ladies and gentleman, isn't the Screaming Trees. Blues Funeral is amazing. Lanegan's voice is deep, raspy, spot on and it carries the album through each of the songs here. Lanegan makes this a Blues Funeral by creating a dingy, moody atmosphere with nothing but his pipes. When you throw in the garagey guitars, raw drums, and what sounds like analogue recording equipment the album sounds like something the White Stripes always hoped to record.

Then there are the electronics. The Mark Lanegan Band occasionally takes a sharp right turn and rather then head to the bar loaded on whiskey, they head to the club. The results are broody throbbing synthpop songs that sound so far away from a Blues Funeral they might just have you scratching your head. If the songs weren't so darn good that would be justified, but they're catchy, deep, and very well done. I admit, I was surprised but in all the best ways.

Blues Funeral is an awesome album and shows that Lanegan and his band are still in their prime. This record is just about perfect. Blues Funeral is the sort of record that helps you forget that this guy was once the frontrunner of the late grunge movement. It's moody, weighty, filled with awesome songs that will move you in one way or another be it the club or the bar.