Black Dub

Daniel Lanois has released several impressive solo albums over the past 20 years, yet he is best known as the visionary producer who has engineered landmark albums by U2, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, and many others. With Black Dub Lanois plays the role of engineer, bandleader, and musician (guitar, keyboards, vocals). Joining him are a couple of regular Lanois collaborators, drummer Brian Blade and bassist Daryl Johnson, along with newcomer Trixie Whitney on vocals. The album is remarkably diverse, fusing elements of dub, New Orleans gospel, trip-hop, blues, soul, and edgy rock into something mysterious and powerful. There are moving soul ballads sung confidently by Whitney (“Surely”), funky shuffles (“Last Time,” “Sing”), and headphone masterpieces (“Ring the Alarm,” “Slow Baby”) that transport the listener through lush soundscapes that can be dense and dark one moment and airy and spacious the next. Lanois has long been a master of creating distinct moods through his work, and he and his band absolutely nail it on Black Dub’s excellent debut release.