The erstwhile Scottish indie queen and enigmatic American indie growl of Mark Lanegan proved opposites attract critical acclaim on their debut Ballad Of The Broken Seas.
Four songs into the follow-up, with 'Who Built The Road', they are sticking t
o much the same formula: Lanegan taking the lead while Campbell swirls her ethereal vocal round his like Scotch mist.
"Like a thief crawling through the night," they then croon over an intro borrowed from 'I Put A Spell On You' on the slinky 'Come On Over', announcing that this curious musical relationship has not merely stood still. Instead it struts and preens, showing more leg than a God-fearing pop song ought to, with a scratchy guitar solo making goosebumps beget goosebumps.
The voodoo swamp beats of 'Backburner' confirm that the unlikely duo can work up a cold sweat, before Isobel leads her sparring partner in the merry dance of 'The Flame That Burns'.
The writing is less self-consciously formatted and all the better for it, creating a fascinating dynamic, with Lanegan increasingly confident playing the dispassionate observer.
Unresolved sexual tension is parodied in the Campbell heavy-breather 'Shot Gun Blues', with acoustic slide guitar sending shivers up the spine as she implores "Oooooh Daddy". Mercy, indeed.
Download this: Come On Over, Shot Gun Blues
The full article contains 239 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
