Mark Lanegan
I'll Take Care of You
Label: Sub Pop
Genre: Alternative
File Under: Reformed rockers
Rating: 84

first appeared at Wall of Sound
by Bob Gulla


Mark Lanegan, the former whiskey- and charcoal-voiced lead singer for the gifted but productivity-impaired band the Screaming Trees, has carved out an interesting niche for himself as a solo artist. Where his gravelly growl propelled the Trees' material to near sublime hard rock heights, his solo material has been far more introverted and stripped down. Riveting works like The Winding Sheet and Whiskey for the Holy Ghost sound nothing like his boisterous band and everything like the artist he wants to be: blue, miserable, and gravely serious.

On I'll Take Care of You, his fourth solo album comprised entirely of covers, Lanegan further explores the darker recesses of old-time blues and folk music, transforming several under-appreciated gems into the kind of songs that reflect the same depth of feeling. Accompanied by accomplished singer-guitarist Mike Johnson, drummer Barrett Martin (ex-Screaming Trees), and Soundgarden's Ben Shepherd on bass, Lanegan turns songs like Buck Owens' "Little Sadie" into a sad, slow dance, Tim Hardin's wonderful "Shiloh Town" into a threatening strum, and overlooked folksinger Fred Neil's shimmering "Badi-Da" into a resonant lullaby. Throughout the album, Lanegan picks exquisite pieces to work out; only Booker T's "Consider Me," where the singer tries his hand at soul, oversteps his abilities. Yet in light of his artistic success lately, one can only wonder where Lanegan — the former rocker — is headed. —


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