Another week, another break-up album. Where Laura Marling hovers, like a ghost, throughout Noah and the Whale's new record, the American singer Pete Yorn's ex is given an equal role, albeit in words written by Yorn, and sung by Scarlett Johansson. Recorded before last year's intriguing Tom Waits covers collaboration between Johansson and Dave Sitek, Break Up confirms the Hollywood star has a natural touch with phrasing and nuance, which makes largely irrelevant any technical deficiencies. Songs such as Blackie's Dead, I Don't Know What to Do and Shampoo are lilting, beautiful and stalked by sadness, and sonically threadbare and eccentric in a way Lindsey Buckingham would admire. But immediacy is favoured over depth, so that, however likeable, the album seems lightweight, if lovely.
Rhino 8122799242