Those looking for some stylistic shifts in Mark Lanegan’s fifth solo outing might be a bit disappointed. Lanegan pours out blues- and gospel-tinged country-rock over ice and sips it for 42 and a half minutes — and that’s precisely what he’s been up to since 1990′s The Winding Sheet. Why the heck not? He’s damn good at it, and he proves it here on Field Songs. Some new things are abreast on this record as Ben Shepherd (Soundgarden) is present on most tracks lending his guitar and bass hands. Also present are Bill Rieflin (KMFDM, Lard, Ministry, etc.) and Duff McKagen (Guns N’ Roses) who each play on one track and are a part of Lanegan’s touring band along with Shepherd. Mike Johnson (Dinosaur Jr.) has been on each of Lanegan’s albums and continues to add much of the building blocks and the mortar necessary to pluck out these songs that are constructed much in the same vein as in the past but with some nuances and a greater color depth. Upon repeated listens, standout tracks such as “Miracle,” “Kimiko’s Dream House,” and “Fix” become infectiously memorable as convincing tales about love gained and lost. All in all, every track is solid and worthy of numerous spins. – Sam Samuelson
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