Album Review: Marianne Faithfull - "Easy Come, Easy Go: 12 Songs For Music Lovers"

Marianne Faithfull has taken a long and hard road to where she's at today. Drug use/abuse, romantic tragedies and extreme laryngitis have taken their toll on the British pop singer and Rolling Stones cohort.

That toll is evident in her raspy vocals, which sound like they belong to someone who smokes eight packs a day and downs a gallon of whiskey for breakfast. That vocal quirk is both a charm and a hindrance on this collection of covers. For the sweeping Espers song "Children Of Stone" her rasp tangles around Rufus Wainwright's more gentle harmony and creates a transcendent experience. She pours buckets of emotion (as well as some organs and electric guitars) into Morrisey's "Dear God Please Help Me" and cuts me right through the heart. And songs like "Hold On, Hold On" and "Sing Me Back Home" were almost made to be sung with the passionate grittiness she brings.

But on the woodwind-heavy title cut, the heavy vocals become almost unbearable, same goes for "Solitude." Whenever Marianne attempts melodic singing, it goes very wrong. "Ooh Baby Baby" is only saved by guest vocalist Antony Hegerty; it goes on forever, too. Which is not to say Easy Come, Easy Go is a bad album. It's just a flawed album, containing more gems than disasters. Most importantly, it is a cohesive artistic statement - a rarity with a covers disc. Indeed, if you dropped the three songs I just mentioned, it becomes a stunning album on a par with Johnny Cash's American series.

Looking Forward: New Albums from Lily, Idols, Marianne Faithfull and Patrick Wolf

I'm getting excited! I may have insinuated that the musical world was in the crapper at the moment a few weeks ago, but it was all in jest. Some really great sounding albums are in the pipeline for the first half of the year. Here are the albums that will get me out of bed early on a Tuesday morning, just to have them on release day before work!

Melinda Doolittle - Coming Back To You (Febuary 3rd on Hi Fi Recordings)
She may have come in third on season 6 of American Idol, behind unexpected pop sensation Jordin Sparks and beatboxing hottie Blake Lewis, but no one can deny the soulful vocals and completely polished and professional presentation of Melinda Doolittle. She releases a throwback pop record, which promises all the retro Motown smoothness of Duffy and the gospel grit of Gladys Knight. Download the title track for free at her website. Lead Single: "It's Your Love" (auto-play link)

Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You (Febuary 10th on Parlaphone/Capitol)
She may have ditched the ska-lite sound for a more polished electro sound, but the lyrical bite will never go away. Even after doing a bit of growing up after a miscarriage and a spat with Elton John, Lils still swears like an adorable sailor, snaps at hypocrites (including Bush 43 on the delicately titled "Fuck You") and doesn't know what's right or what's real anymore... What I know is I will be buying whatever she's selling. Lead single: "The Fear" (slightly NSFW language)

Kelly Clarkson - All I Ever Wanted (March 17th on Sony BMG)
The original American Idol returns with her fourth album, more in the power pop tradition of Breakaway than the somber rock of her last disc. You already know I'm obsessed with Kelly and lead single "My Life Would Suck Without You" and I'll be bringing you news as I hear it. Oh, BTW rumor has it the next single will be the Katy Perry-penned "(I Do Not) Hook Up" (link is for the Katy Perry demo version, no Kelly leaks... yet.) ZOMG I LOVE KELLY! Sorry, I couldn't contain it any more. Lead Single: "My Life Would Suck Without You"

Marianne Faithfull - Easy Come, Easy Go (March 17th on Decca)
Have we found a female counterpart to Johnny Cash? She had the drug problems and the sometimes actor/singer career, and now she has the whiskey-soaked vocals covering an astonishing array of songs, from Smokey Robinson to Morrisey to Billie Holiday. From the recently Stereogum premeired Decemberist cover of "The Crane Wife 3" and the glorious version of Neko Case's "Hold On, Hold On" to the disturbing latter-day Dolly Parton song "Down From Dover" Marianne goes there and I am so excited to hear this new sound emerge. Four songs available to preview at the album's official website.

Patrick Wolf - Battle (TBA, on Bloody Chamber Music)
Patrick had Marianne Faithfull duet with him on the haunting "Magpie" from his last disc, the noise-pop inspired The Magic Position. He takes it a step further on Battle, scoring a major get with his doppelganger, the fabulous Tilda Swinton, dropping spoken word bits as "the voice of hope" with an even more deranged backdrop of strings, marching band drums, choirs and electrosynths. It might be too esoteric for me, but I'm defiantly intrigued. Listen to a mega mix of new tracks at Battlestocks.

Also looking forward to the rumored new album by Whitney Houston and not at all looking forward to the new U2 disc.