Before The Poison

構成数 : 1枚
合計収録時間 : 00:36:22
Since 1979's BROKEN ENGLISH, when she began writing and performing original material in a moody, emotionally stark vein, Marianne Faithfull's image as a glamorous, '60s music-biz pop star has undergone serious revision. This album completes the transformation. Full of beautiful, honest songs and emotionally harrowing performances, BEFORE THE POISON is Faithfull at her most compelling and undeniable. Her husky, cracked voice, which has plenty of experience built into it, is applied to great effect here, with a world-weary edge that is part artsong, part blues, and part alternative rock. This last appellation is apt given the nature of Faithfull's collaborations. Nick Cave wrote three of the songs, including the desperately melancholic "There Is a Ghost," while composer/multi-instrumentalist Jon Brion and Blur's Damon Albarn (whose "Last Song" is one of the album's highlights) contribute a track each. But the strongest presence is PJ Harvey, who wrote the rest of the album, and also contributes guitar and backing vocals. Faithfull and Harvey make a great team, with the wisdom and texture of the former's voice fleshing out the latter's biting lyrics and icy angles. BEFORE THE POISON adds up to a poetic, deeply affecting experience, an album that weighs in as one of Faithfull's finest achievements yet.