Scott Kelly

Perhaps every hard rocker has a dark, acoustic balladeer waiting for the hard desert wind to wear away their leather. Although it’s amply evident early into The Wake, it’s hard not to mention that Mark Lanegan’s template of stark, low rumbling narratives is tongue-kissed here. While the powder dry production and open mic quality guitar work make for a somewhat uncomfortably naked listen, neither is Kelly’s greatest hurdle. That would be the fact that Steve Von Till, Kelly’s band mate in Neurosis, has released a similar yet greatly superior album just a week after The Wake. That’s difficult to overlook, especially since they share the same label. Perhaps Kelly’s hard won credibility and old soul vocals will carry weight with fans of his other day job, but they’re unlikely to impress anyone else.