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Two more complementary sets of pipes have rarely been paired-and while that's been the intention all along, the duo's third full-length, Hawk, still banks on that delicious friction, and does it well.
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The now mature musical relationship pays dividends as the baritone crooning of Lanegan and Campbell's breathy, Nico-inflected singing continue to deliver an atmospheric payoff.
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MojoThey've surpassed the Nancy Sinatra/Lee Hazelwoood comparisons to create an intense, fluid sound that's uniquely their own. [Sep 2010, p.96]
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The Gothic undertones of the previous two albums have been slightly toned down, but not that much, and this time they also manage to rock out with some more bluesy and electric tracks.
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Hawk isn't as startling [as Ballad of the Broken Seas], but it's encouraging to know that the magic between Campbell and Lanegan not only hasn't worn off, it's manifesting itself in new and compelling ways.
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It's a union that just keeps on giving, with the steelier, more focused Hawk the best they've given yet.
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At times it feels like this music will rise above simple pleasure, to something more fearsome or fearless, something unquantifiable and haunted--for now, however, the dichotomy between male and female will have to do.
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Hawk represents the finest moment of the Campbell and Lanegan collaborations thus far.
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Uncut"Lately" is a wonderfully uplifting finale to a finely conceived record, an eloquent testament to an unlikely partnership that's only now delivering its full potential. [Sep 2010, p.97]
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It's a rich, insinuating sound, and there's plenty more of it on Hawk. But there are also several twists that make this much more than just a rehash of a proven formula.
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Hawk is very much Campbell's album. She made all the big artistic decisions, her face is front and center on the cover, and Lanegan shows up on only eight of the album's 13 tracks.
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Hazy and humid, it hangs over and envelops like the summer air, leaving the listener languid and spellbound.
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What is unfortunate is that she allows Lanegan to utterly dominate their duets.
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They may be, for all intents and purposes, covers of songs that never actually existed, but they repeatedly prove just how ecstatic such influence can be.
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While their first two collaborative efforts were largely slow, quiet affairs, their new album Hawk is more dynamic, featuring both whispered ballads and dusty, boot-stomping rockers, and not always for the best.
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Hawk works best when Campbell--who wrote, produced and arranged most of these 13 tunes--nudges their collaboration into new territory.
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Hawk is the most energetic record yet from the pair, with several pointers towards the sound of the enduring record they may well have in them....That said, some old weaknesses remain.
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Q MagazineThe best parts of Hawk, where Capbell's voice slips around Lanegan's like a membrane and the duo assumes a single, menacing persona. [Sep 2010, p.121]
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The pleasure of Campbell flitting like a will-o'-the-wisp in the cracks between Lanegan's fierce, parched growls is predictable now. Hawk impresses instead with its signs of Campbell's increased confidence as songwriter, arranger and producer.
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Overall, Hawk faithfully follows its predecessors' dusty Americana blueprint, trading a standout Hank Williams cover for two by Townes Van Zandt.
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Five of the songs don't feature Lanegan's vocals, and when Willy Mason shows up to sing two of them, it's a wonder why Hawk wasn't more truthfully labeled as "Isobel Campbell & Friends." Thematically deficient throughout, this is an outtakes release at best.
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Campbell and Lanegan are still one of the most interesting and engaging vocal pairs in music, but here they sound positively hushed. [Summer 2010, p.77]