It's interesting that Chris Cornell tried to combine his sound with electronic music by working with Timbaland on his Scream album, and it didn't really work. But Lanegan worked with Alain Johannes on this album, and made a hybrid of Lanegan's dusty blues and electronic music that works really well.
Johannes (a former member of Eleven) has worked with Cornell before, it's too bad that they didn't go in this direction.
Lanegan isn't thought of as a "blues" artist per se, and he doesn't roll in Clapton circles. But when I hear him sing, it just brings to mind scenes of dusty, lonely, scary places. I hear the blues in his voice. And this album makes the blues sound fresh, current and even futuristic. I don't know many other records you could say that about. If I were a film director (or musical director of a film), I'd be mining this album big time, and asking Lanegan and Johannes for more.
It's interesting that Lanegan chose to call this a "Mark Lanegan Band" album. The "Band" is completed by drummer Jack Irons. A newly minted Rock and Roll Hall of Famer (as a member of The Red Hot Chili Peppers) and a newly minted member of The Wallflowers, he didn't really get to promote the album with Lanegan. But hopefully this particular group of musicians will work together again.
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