Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan

Hawk (Vanguard)

By Bonnie Thurston
Published: August 24th, 2010 | 1:00pm

Hawk, the third full-length from Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan, once again sees the pair conveying the “beauty and the beast” dichotomy found on their Mercury Music Prize nominated Ballad of the Broken Seas (V2) and Sunday at Devil Dirt. Lanegan’s gruff, well-worn vocals are in sharp contrast to Campbell’s lovely, unassuming sound and fit comfortably together as the duo explores blues, folk, and rock. However, all this genre-hopping leaves the record feeling a bit disjointed.

Highlights include “You Won’t Let Me Down Again” and “Time of the Season,” while “Come Undone” bears a striking resemblance to “I Put a Spell On You” but misses the mark. It’s a decent track, but it sounds a little too much like the aforementioned classic. The strongest cut, though, is a cover of Townes Van Zandt’s “No Place to Fall,” with lead vocals handled beautifully and confidently by Willy Mason, with Campbell’s backing vocals being a perfect complement. Mason also takes the lead on “Cool Water” and makes a strong case for further collaboration with Campbell.

Although Hawk doesn’t break any new musical ground, it is worthwhile listening for fans of the pair’s previous work.

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Vanguard Records