Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan

Where once it seemed slightly odd that Isobel Campbell (of early Belle And Sebastian) and Mark Lanegan (of Screaming Trees) had decided to sing together, it’s now almost sad to imagine their voices apart. 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. “You Won’t Let Me Down Again” proves itself a wise choice as the disc’s single: Featuring a lulling groove, breathiness from Campbell, griminess from Lanegan, and a stinging guitar solo from Smashing Pumpkins’ James Iha, the song puts a chipped, gritty edge on Hawk’s consistently subdued beauty.

Updated 10/01/2010