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BAD FRIDAY!
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The Windmill, Brixton
Good Friday, 14th April 2017
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Album Review

Soulsavers
Broken V2

Article written by Matt H - Aug 30, 2009

Soulsavers - don't mend it

If it’s true that you shall know a man by the company he keeps then Rich Machin and Ian Glover can’t be bad lads. Not only do they have the ever more marvellous Mark Lanegan on vocals, but they’ve hooked up with the likes of Richard Hawley, Will Oldham, Mike Patton and even Gibby Haynes -uncharacteristically restrained in the background of Death Bells, a slinky rocker that could be one of Lanegan’s own. A fair proportion of any good record collection basically.

Lanegan’s voice looms large over the album, now a true heir to Johnny Cash in his ability to bring grit, gravitas and grizzled hope to a song. In particular the minimal take on You Will Miss Me When I Burn makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, standing shoulder to shoulder with Cash’s take on I See a Darkness as a truly great interpretation of Will Oldham’s finest work. The voice helps keep you going as the album once or twice into somewhat less engaging expansive gospel-indie.

Nevertheless there’s plenty of sombre goodness, and it’s not all down to Lanegan - as the stern pastoral beauty of the opening instrumental the Seventh Proof, erm, proves from the off. And the testosterone is diluted by the contribution of Red Ghost more of a Polly Harvey than Isobell Campbell as a foil for Lanegan and in her own right - totally suiting the material.

Much of the album rewards repeated listens, with meticulously crafted elements to be discovered every time around the basic dark rock guitars and strings. Shadows Fall in particular makes the most of the numerous layers and ideas that are packed in to what would otherwise be one of the weaker tunes.

Something of grown-up record then, but in a good way - one to accompany your hardest liquor and most bittersweet memories.

Links:
http://www.thesoulsavers.com
http://www.v2music.com/
http://www.myspace.com/soulsavers