Dammit, Scarlett Johansson’s Album Might Be Good

Uncut, a most likely credible culture magazine from the U.K., gives Scarlett Johansson’s Tom Waits covers album a track-by-track review today. None of the tracks are identified as “celebrity cash-in crap,” and in fact they sound like fun, drugged-out indie-wall-of-sound twists on the originals. We are even looking forward to hearing Johansson cover the pretty ballad “Who Are You?” as the album’s closer.

“That is some redundant shit,” we said to ourselves when we first heard about it, “having someone with a gravely voice cover Tom Waits songs. Fueled by giggly interviews given by a vapid star with no reverence for the weight of her source material, this cynically conceived project will appeal to the same assemblage of tools and poseurs that bought Jewel’s poetry, shamefully outselling every real Tom Waits album.” To legitimate sophisticates like us — owners of one Tom Waits album and zero books of poetry — it was an idea worthy of scorn. But now it turns out that not only is Scarlett Johansson unattainably beautiful and rich, she may be possessed of a quality singing voice and a keen ear for collaborators. Are we going to have to — crap! — add another album to the list?

“That is some redundant shit,” we said to ourselves when we first heard about it, “having someone with a gravely voice cover Tom Waits songs. Fueled by giggly interviews given by a vapid star with no reverence for the weight of her source material, this cynically conceived project will appeal to the same assemblage of tools and poseurs that bought Jewel’s poetry, shamefully outselling every real Tom Waits album.” To legitimate sophisticates like us — owners of one Tom Waits album and zero books of poetry — it was an idea worthy of scorn. But now it turns out that not only is Scarlett Johansson unattainably beautiful and rich, she may be possessed of a quality singing voice and a keen ear for collaborators. Are we going to have to — crap! — add another album to the list?

This intelligently envisioned and diligently assembled work of creativity is bumming the hell out of us. —Ben Mathis-Lilley

Scarlett Johansson’s Tom Waits’ Covers Album Previewed! [Uncut]

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