Scarlett Johansson: Anywhere I Lay My Head (2008)
Heaven Can Waits
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
Buy Scarlett Johansson's Anywhere I Lay My Head on CD.
I don't really review music on this site, but I am familiar with
Scarlett Johansson's work, so when I was given the opportunity to take
an early listen to her new CD, I agreed. Given, she'll have a hard time
since she's a known entity, rather than a newcomer that has been
practicing music all her life, but I really like it, and I've been
listening to it over and over. Johansson has always been noted for her
smoky voice, with its hidden hesitations and sadness, and so her
transition into singing makes a kind of sense. Fortunately, rather than
a kind of Lavay Smith torch album (or worse, a slick, generic Jennifer
Lopez or Jessica Simpson-type knockoff), Johansson and her collaborators
have opted for a very interesting album consisting almost entirely of
Tom Waits covers! (There's one original song, "Song for Jo.") Produced
by David Andrew Sitek, the CD is beautifully mixed with thick layers,
like velvet drapes; Scarlett's voice is nestled somewhere inside, rather
than soaring above it. This could be a method to mask her limited range,
but it also works extremely well. The single "Falling Down" is a
dazzler, with its rising and falling banjo and piano notes, placed like
stars against the song's dark canvas and Scarlett murmurs through the
minor chords with sublime beauty. The Ramones already scored an amazing
cover version of "I Don't Want to Grow Up," but Scarlett's is moodier
and more enchanting. There are 11 cuts in all. Atco released it.
May 29, 2008
