Drag Music

Average Rating:

The lyrical ties may be a bit of a stretch at times, but the music throughout the project is firmly knotted together. One hardly has to read the production credits; a sampling of the left-of-center jazz and country blend leaves little doubt that anyone other than Craig Street, oddball extraordinare behind Cassandra Wilson's "New Moon Daughter" and Holly Cole's "Temptation," was at the helm. Street's presence explains -at least in part- the surprisingly highbrow arrangements of Steve Miller's "The Joker" and The Hollies' "The Air That I Breathe"; famous for turning novelty pop songs into mature music for adults, Craig's sensibilities in this sense have never been stronger. He also apparently had a field day with lang's love of Roy Orbison and Julie London, as Orbison's "Till the Heart Caves In" is given a rendition nothing short of immaculately beautiful, and the vibraphone and organ on "Smoke Dreams" are more than a little reminiscent of later-year recordings of Julie's.

But lang is no one's carbon copy, as the country-tinged "My Last Cigarette" and the Hawaiian-flavored "Smoke Rings" will prove beyond a doubt...when's the last time you heard music like this that wasn't on a reissue? Even an oft-covered standard like "Don't Smoke in Bed" can get a tailor-made alteration: lang starts it off as a classic torch, but a surprise bridge, with tremelo guitar and ethereal vocals, makes it something her very own. If you're still not a believer, behold the ease with which she takes the theme from the ultimate camp film ("Valley of the Dolls") and morphs it into a mature and classy affair.

"Hain't it Funny" is the lone exception; whether it's the lowkey jazz arrangement or the lazy vocal, you'd almost swear lang intentionally took a page from Holly Cole's book (and that's no complaint). But for a strong dose of the charm, warmth, and emotional accessibility that makes lang such an irresistible vocalist, look no further than the gorgeously understated "My Old Addiction," a deceivingly simple song that, at first listen, seems to stays on one emotional plane. It isn't until the six-and-a-half minute listen is over, however, that you realize lang wove in and out of subtle inflections, both technically and emotionally. The hindsight revelation makes it all the more impressive and the listener is all the more anxious to repeat the experience. Come to think of it, you may well reach the same conclusion at the close of this moving, entrancing, and ultimately beautiful record.

This is an amazing album of songs sung by an amazing voice of our time. Haunting and moving. A definite must for any music lover and an absolute must for a k.d. fan.