New CD Review of...
Mark Lanegan Band
Bubblegum
By: Debi Rotmil
Mark Lanegan’s album Bubblegum came out in August of 2004, yet it went relatively unnoticed by those who aren’t familiar with the former front man for “Screaming Trees”. The shrewd observer can sense the title alone is ironic, hinting at some stickiness beyond the pink. This isn’t bubblegum pop. With a bevy of ex-band mates, and the wonderfully intense PJ Harvey in tow, singing back up in that fuck-you sexy droll, Lanegan provides a haunting ride through snapshots of addiction, and stabs at love and redemption. Unlike his past solo work, Whiskey for the Ghost, which was more acoustic and melody driven, Bubblegum gets into the nitty gritty toil of the world with banging, shrieking guitars and great old time downtown lo-fi music. He grumbles like Tom Waits, and croons like Jeff Buckley. Yet, whereas Waits’ despair is framed within a theatrical mold, and Buckley more romantic, Lanegan delves into dirtier waters, opening portholes to some difficult scenes, and he does it with stark reality.
“When Your Number Isn’t Up” sets the stage in a hotel of despair where junkies shun daylight, waiting to die, dreading another day: “Now something crawls right up my spine /That I always got to follow/Turn out the lights/Don't see me drawn and hollow/Just blood running warm”. “Hit the City” and “Methamphetamine Blues” are intricate, driving songs, grungy and strangely pretty. All tracks are a varied mix of style and sound with punk sensibilities. They are brutally honest in regard to the loss of ideals, and the difficulty in going straight when synthetic, mind bending shit is running through your veins. Much like the song “Wedding Dress” (“Will you walk with me underground/And forgive all my sicknesses and my sorrows? / Will you be shamed if I shake like I'm dyin'/When I fall to my knees and I'm crying”), his addiction will always be first, with a potential love always falling second, cleaning up the mess. He knows that’s no way to live. Much like Elliot Smith’s final work From a Basement on the Hill, we see an artist swallowed by vices, unable to shake the devil for love, no matter how much he wants it. Unlike Smith, Lanegan’s work has a sense of hope, for he finds solace in the final “Out of Nowhere” as he works his way “out of the wilderness” with forceful, exotic beats and a lovely tune.
Mark Lanegan’s Bubblegum dwells within the despair of litter filled streets and urban loneliness. Unlike that sugary, sticky stuff in which the title implies, Lanegan is salty and slightly bittersweet. But, his brutal lyrics and veracity sticks on you, not unlike gum to the sole of your shoe.