Blackberry Belle by The Twilight Singers

Pros: Dark, emotional, rich, and wonderful...
Cons: Maybe a bit too dark for some folks...

Blackberry Belle is balanced precariously on the edge between reality and fantasy and reason and madness. At the same time it is luscious and inviting it is also strange and foreboding. This odd, creative juxtaposition lends itself well to the album on ...

Pros: It is good. So sayeth me.
Cons: It is slow and goth, so if you don't like that....

Anybody out there know who Greg Dulli is? Anyone?! Okay, I see a couple hands, but it doesn't look good. Apparently, a lot of you missed out on what Greg was doing in the nineties. Y'see, Greg Dulli was the guitarist/lead vocalist for this ...

Pros: Lyrics, offkey vocal style. The buildup to track 5. A sense of urgency and liberation.
Cons: Not a damn thing. Dulli can do no wrong in my opinion.

The best songwriters are the ones that defy their influences. Jeff Buckley loved Nina Simone, Leonard Cohen, and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Instead of aping them, he integrated them into his world, consuming every crescendo and each bending note. But the one ...

Pros: Soulful music with substance missing from 99% of current releases
Cons: The album has to end at some point

Wow...I picked Blackberry Belle up on day 1, and have not stopped listening to it since. I have not been this impressed by a new release in years. Though many were not as happy as I was with the first Twilight Singers album, Blackberry Belle meanders back towards the path that had been forged by the Afghan Whigs. This Twilight Singers album is another step in the natural progression of Greg Dulli's musical career. It's fabulous. I highly recommend it, particularly Martin Eden, Papillon, and Fat City. Buy. Now. Trust me.