April 4, 2007

Soulsavers

It’s Not How Far You Fall, It’s The Way You Land

7 / 10 A colossal gravel-throated rock presence, for 20 years Mark Lanegan – ex-singer in Seattle grunge pioneers Screaming Trees – is a collaborator par excellence, playing the blues with Kurt Cobain in the early-’90s and appearing on career-best LPs by both QOTSA and Isobel Campbell. This time around Stoke production duo Soulsavers reap the benefit of his nicotine-ravaged pipes for their second LP. On brooding mood-rocker ‘Paper Money’ he rasps with trademark venom, while his Johnny Cash turn on ‘Kingdom Of Rain’ is stunning. It’s ‘Revival’ that’s most impressive, though, his gargling-hot-gravel tones soaring alongside a gospel choir, transforming the kind of Jesus-fixated spirituality-fest that would normally have NME running for the hills into something oddly affecting. Soulsavers will do well to better it.

Rick Martin

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