Mick Harvey: Two of Diamonds (Mute)
release: July 31, 2007
style: haunting folk singing songwriting
similar: Nick Cave, the Animals' "House of the Rising Sun" . rating: ****
Although it wouldn't be as effective as Johnny Cash, the co-founder of the Birthday Party and the Bad Seeds could have easily thrown in a version of NIN's "Hurt" on Two of Diamonds. It really would make sense since there are several covers here. With reserved instrumentation (acoustic guitar, brush-stick drums, blah blah), Harvey's country-folk-blues is appropriate for a Tarantino or Lynch film. Like Johnny Cash, Harvey is impressively still doing something that's sincere and moving (even when it's a cover), three decades into his career. And that's rare in a time where Bon Jovi has lost its heart writing a song like "Have a Nice Day". -Kenyon