Isobel Campbell and MarkLanegan - Sunday at DevilDirt

Fri 23rd May, 2008 in Music Reviews

In recent years former Screaming Trees leadman Mark Lanegan has been a gun for hire slinging his dusty drawl over tracks for Soulsides, Queens of the Stoneage and The Twilight Singers. When Lanegan’s not saddling up with those gangs, he’s been duelling vocals as half of the Gutter Twins with Greg Dulli of Afghan Whigs or Isobel Campbell. Sunday at Devil Dirt is the second pairing of Lanegan and Campbell and like its predecessor, Ballad of Broken Seas, this album smoulders with dark menace and sensuality. Their first collaboration picked up a nomination for the Mercury music prize and was lauded as an instant classic – and this superb follow up album easily matches that high standard.

Though the press-release pushes a quote from Uncut proclaiming the duo to be the – œSonny and Cher of grunge’ there’s little to suggest that Lanegan and Campbell are seeking to dethrone Kurt and Courtney. Instead they draw on the sounds of dust-bowl Americana infusing their tunes with elements of blues, country and folk balladry. More likely duos for comparison would include Lee Hazelwood and Nancy Sinatra, Emmylou Harris and Gram Parsons or Johnny and June Carter Cash.

On their previous album Lanegan and Campbell marked this territory with a cover of Hank Williams’ Rambling Man, but here almost all the songs are written by Campbell who manages to craft lyrics perfectly suited to Lanegan’s weary gravel tones and her own gentle melodies. Though it’s not all written by Campbell for the duo’s voices – the exceptions are Ian McCulloch’s Salvation; Who Built the Road – a Campbell co-write with McCulloch; and a woozy piano led instrumental piece that appears uncredited half way through the record.

On Shotgun Blues Campbell plays the come-hither prairie gal purring bluesy suggestions (Oh Daddy, lean on my bed/gonna take that shotgun, fill it full of lead). With its steel string guitar rattling like a rusty bed spring and sticky vinyl crackle it’s impossible to resist. While the smoothly seductive orchestrations of Come On Over (Turn Me On) move across the saloon to flirt with your ear as Serge Gainsbourg and Barry Adamson lurk in the corner look on in approval. Campbell’s lyrics share Leonard Cohen’s sly wit as well as his sensual mummer as they loll in Lanegan’s throat.
/Like a thief crawling in the night/
/Like a drunk brawling in a fight/
/How should I know what is right from wrong/
/Come on over; turn me on/

Though it’s not all bluesy tunes about country matters. Keep Me in Mind, Sweetheart and Trouble are duets of aching tenderness. The Raven, the album’s second number, betrays a heavy debt to the gothic poetry of Edgar Allen Poe’s work and is delivered with dark menace by Lanegan, with Campbell cooing a fragile accompaniment. While the London Community Gospel Choir, who’ve also appeared on albums from Elbow, Spiritualized and on Blur’s Tender is the Night, also provide a haunting backing to the work-song shuffle of Back Burner.

After leaving the ranks of Belle and Sebastian Campbell has recorded several solo records that at times have been so light and twee that they’ve threatened to simply drift away. However with Lanegan’s deep voice to provide a counter balance she’s found a perfect foil to her delicate vocals. It may run for just forty-seven minutes Devil Dirt, but there’s not a second wasted on this finely crafted record.