Tom Waits Re-Done & Taken to the Dream World by Scar-Jo

Known for his gravelly voice and bizarre songs, Tom Waits is considered to be one of the finest singer-songwriters of his generation. With artists ranging from Bruce Springsteen to Rod Stewart covering his songs, Waits rarely reached any commercial heights despite critical support and a devoted cult following. Often delving into various genres including blues, jazz, industrial music, and Vaudeville, Waits always made himself interesting. Even when he's acting in films for Francis Ford Coppola or Terry Gilliam. Whether he's writing by himself or with his wife and songwriting partner Kathleen Brennan. In 2008, another individual has decided to cover the famed songs of Tom Waits. This time it's from one of Hollywood's rising starlets in Scarlett Johansson for her full-length album debut, named after one of Waits' beloved songs Anywhere I Lay My Head.

Anywhere I Lay My Head is an album filled with several classics songs by Tom Waits covered by Johansson with the help of producer and TV on the Radio guitarist Dave Sitek. With one original song written by Johansson and Sitek, the album is a dream-like interpretation of Waits' tune in the same tradition of the famed Ivo Watts-Russell 4AD label outfit This Mortal Coil, who did the sequencing for the entire album. Featuring appearances from Tunde Adebimpe and Jaleel Bunton of TV on the Radio, Sean Antanaitis of the Celebration, Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and the legendary David Bowie. Anywhere I Lay My Head despite its good intentions isn't exactly a memorable album but certainly one not to dismiss either.

The album opens with the instrumental Fawn from the 2002 album Alice opens with Sean Antanaitis' wailing organ and dream-like guitar strums by Nick Zinner. The instrumental sets the mood for the entire album in its dream-like setting as Antanaitis' organ plays melodically. Then drums and saxophones begin to wail with Zinner's shimmering guitar with a wailing sax solo in the background. Next is Town With No Cheer from 1983's Swordfishtrombones with its moody, dream-like tone and Johansson's monotone, chilling vocals. With Zinner's guitar strumming in the background, it's Johansson that leads the way to Waits' melancholic lyrics as she's accompanied by wailing organs and eerie synthesizers. While the song is great through Dave Sitek's production, Johansson's monotone, cold vocal style that is similar to the late Velvet Underground singer Nico isn't that great.

The album's first single Falling Down from 1988's Big Town featuring additional background vocals by David Bowie is led by a smooth, dream-like production by Sitek with a chime-like piano, synthesizer track. Unfortunately, Johansson's monotone vocals doesn't really give the song any luster as it's very limited. Yet, Johansson is aware of her limits though her vocals are kind of buried by Sitek's dreamy production that includes a banjo by Sean Antanaitis and a slide guitar by Nick Zinner. With Bowie singing along to the chorus in the background, it's a decent song that stands out but nothing to cheer about. The album's title track from 1985's Rain Dogs is one of the album's finest moments with its hypnotic, dream-like production and electronic-heavy textures that gives Johansson a dream-like vocal style that's nearly reminiscent of the vocal style by Elizabeth Fraser of the Cocteau Twins. Johansson's dream-like vocals and Sitek's electronic presentation gives Waits' classic song a hypnotic make over that's in the style of dream-pop acts like the Cocteau Twins and My Bloody Valentine.

Fannin Street from the rarities compilation album Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers, & Bastards is another dreamy, electronic reinterpretation where Johansson's vocals are a bit clearer in her dreamy, monotone vocal style as she sings Waits' narrative-laden lyrics. With Bowie singing in the background, the song's dream-like approach with drum machine beats and hypnotic synthesizers along with Zinner and Sitek's dreamy guitar strums. Song For Jo written by Johansson and Sitek is a smooth, acoustic-laden song with Johansson's soft, dreamy monotone vocals leading the way. Though the vocals are good, they're buried by its production that's atmospheric while the lyrics are hard to decipher as the production includes dreamy, shoegaze-inspired guitars. Green Grass from 2004's Real Gone is a slow, string jazz-inspired track with dreamy, acoustic guitars and eerie productions as Johansson goes for a growling vocal style that works for the song's dark tone. While Johansson goes for Waits' vocal style, it's almost hard to decipher due to its mixing despite an interesting performance from the musicians involved.

I Wish I Was In New Orleans from 1976's Small Change is one of the album's most outstanding cuts with its chime-like music box presentation as Johansson sings the song in a soft, smooth vocal style. Through Waits' descriptive lyrics of New Orleans, Johansson and Sitek's crisp production works as it carries an intimacy and innocence of this classic Waits song. Next is the classic I Don't Want To Grow Up from 1992's Bone Machine that was later covered famously by the Ramones. Johansson's interpretation is a shimmering, New Order-inspired cover with Johansson's cold, monotone vocals. With Sitek's brilliant production, it's definitely another highlight filled with guitars by Sitek and Nick Zinner as it's a wonderful mix of 80s electro-pop and dream-pop with Johansson's vocals being the highlight as she captures the spirit of the song's youthfulness.

No One Knows I'm Gone from Alice is a dark, blistering track with wavy guitar strums, hollow beats, and dark keyboard tracks as Johansson sings the song through her cool, soft monotone vocal style. With a flute background and screeching noise, the song is great for its atmosphere but at times, delves into pretentiousness. The album's closer is Who Are You? from Bone Machine is an interesting number with Johansson singing the song with other vocalist and a dark, dream-like production and African percussions. Yet, despite the interesting array of instruments and production, it's one of the least memorable tracks on the album since Johansson is buried in its dreamy, industrial-like production and other vocalists. Two extra tracks from the iTunes includes Yesterday Is Here from 1987's Franks Wild Years and I'll Shoot The Moon from 1993's The Black Rider.

Whenever someone like an actress or celebrity makes an album. It's often done for the purpose of trying to prove that they're talent or just wants to create a product. Scarlett Johansson, though, does neither since she's aware of her limits as a vocalist while not wanting to make an album that is for commercial purposes like, for example, Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton. While Johansson and Dave Sitek do create an interesting album of reinterpreting these great songs of Tom Waits. The overall result is mixed at best. There's some great songs, there's a few good ones, and there's some unmemorable ones. The problem with this record is that it tries to recreate a mood that is similar to the famed albums that This Mortal Coil made in the 80s and early 90s. While Johansson doesn't have the vocal talents of the guest singers involved with those records. She at least uses her limits to create a dream-like yet cold vocal style sometimes reminiscent of Nico and Elizabeth Fraser.

Then there's the production which something that fans of indie music and most certainly, fans of TV on the Radio might enjoy but for a mainstream audience. It's too strange for them and Johansson's vocal style is also very non-mainstream. Indie audiences might be put off by it either because of Johansson's vocal style as well or the fact that her vocals are often buried through its production. Of course, critics would tell her to stick to her day job, which is acting. Yet, Johansson's recent acting choices, with the exception of The Prestige, Match Point, and The Other Boleyn Girl, has been very spotty since her breakthrough in 2003 with both Lost in Translation & Girl with a Pearl Earring. Then there's her fans. They'll buy it because of her name and will say it's one of the year's best album. Yet, the problem with a majority of those fans is that, they're a bunch of idiots.

While it's not a bad nor a great album, Anywhere I Lay My Head is an interesting album of Tom Waits songs covered by Scarlett Johansson and Dave Sitek. Though better in some respects than most albums done by actors-turned-singers or musicians, it's not as good as the most recent Zooey Deschanel/M.Ward side project She & Him and their debut album Volume One. While Johansson's more hardcore, smarter fan base might find some rewarding moments, it's not a record that is going to make any commercial marks or anything. Yet, with the few great tracks on the album, it at least makes it an album worth listening. The best part about this record is at least it does raise interest into the music of Tom Waits.

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