SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: MARK LANEGAN BAND - GARGOYLE

Mark Lanegan Band
Gargoyle
Heavenly Recordings

Where bluesy pop meets freaky electronica and ambient music… try “Beehive”, “Death’s Head Tattoo” and “Blue Blue Sea” respectively. But these are only vague descriptions for genre-busting outings that ultimately make easy categorization redundant. Rather, think industrial noise, classic and garage rock (shades of Iggy Pop on ‘Emperor’), psychedelia (‘Sister’) – the CD becomes rather more conventional – albeit that is a relative term – as it progresses, with Mark’s vocals taking on a Lou Reed tone, and on the closing track, ‘Old Swan’, the droning groove approaches that of vintage Velvet Underground, with maybe a side order of U2. This is Mark’s tenth solo album and there’s plenty of life in the old alt-rocker yet!

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SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: MARK LANEGAN BAND – GARGOYLE

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Norman Darwen

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About the Author

Norman Darwen

Norman Darwen grew up in north-west England admiring Elvis’ gold lamé jacket, Lord Kitchener’s way with words, and his much older brother’s and sister’s dancing to The Rolling Stones’ ‘Little Red Rooster’ on the telly. He’d wind aforementioned brother up by reading the entire contents of an R’n’B magazine he used to have to collect from his local shop for him and then reciting back as much as he could remember. Some years later he’d wind up his own friends by telling them who these people were that Led Zeppelin etc were covering – Willie Dixon, Howling Wolf, Otis Rush etc. These days he still listens to the blues, but has added a taste for reggae, zouk, rap, folk and anything else that takes his fancy…

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