Hawk

While it’s nice to think of Isobel Campbell playing Nancy Sinatra to Mark Lanegan’s Lee Hazlewood, their collaborations are so much darker than the noir skirmishes of the elder couple. Besides, it’s Campbell game, writing and arranging these tunes with Lanegan adding his death-rasp for an extra dose of desperation. Two Townes Van Zandt tracks, “Snake Song” and “No Place to Fall” sit perfectly with the duo. But Campbell holds her own, clearly hearing where Lanegan should join her throughout. “Get Behind Me” sounds like an upbeat rodeo shuffle, except Lanegan’s breathing hard at her neck. “Time of the Season” hints at pop music. However, it’s all a tease. With Lanegan on board, everything tilts to the dour edge, so even when Campbell finds some solo space on “Sunrise,” she whispers in support of their musical marriage. Three albums together and they’re only getting stronger. The title track even adds a bit of the psychedelic mischief Lanegan once played along with in the Screaming Trees. With two great singers, all it really takes is to stay true to their visions.