Mark Lanegan Band - Blues Funeral CD

The seventh solo studio album from Mark Lanegan (of Screaming Trees fame) is "Blues Funeral", his first record since his 2004 release, the critically acclaimed "Bubblegum". As the title might suggest, the album is a bittersweet affair laden with beautifully melancholy tales which are told against a backdrop that ranges from eighties-esque synthesiers to stripped down rock and roll. Tracks that exemplify the diverse assortment of sounds and influences present on the album include the aptly titled "Ode To Sad Disco" and the reflective "Harborview Hospital". However the presence of fast paced rockers like "Riot In My House" and "Quiver Syndrome" clearly demonstrate that Lanegan's material can shine just as well as it showers. (Adam Bibby)