KAREN ELSON - The Ghost Who Walks

The only reason I paid any attention to this record was because shop owner Greg threw this one on shuffle, and it stood out. No doubt, Karen Elson will be catching the ears of people who want to know if the model wife of Jack White can carry it off. Just as many people will not listen to this record for the exact same reasons, which would be a shame considering the talent Elson shows in both singing and songwriting departments. No vain dilettante, Elson was involved in various musical projects before meeting Jack, notably adding BGs to Robert Plant’s “Last Time I Saw Her” on his 2003 album Dreamland.  She’s also duetted with Cat Power on a cover of Gainsbourg’s “Je T’aime…Moi Non Plus.” You can’t suck in such company.

Produced by her hubby and launching from his Third Man imprint, The Ghost walks through the sorts of southern gothic trails blazed by Kurt Weill and Tom Waits, showing a penchant for minor-key folk and the kind of cavernous Americana that the Giant Sand guys could have easily revived their OP8 collaboration alter-ego for. Her musical foils include Jack Lawrence (Raconteurs, Dead Weather), Carl Broemel (My Morning Jacket) and her hubby. She nods to different traditions via “Stolen Roses” (a variation of “Scarborough Fair”) and “Cruel Summer” (a Cajun-spiced waltz with a melody reminiscent of “Itsy-Bitsy Teenie-Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini”), but the kickers here are the haunting cabaret “100 Years from Now” and superbly-arranged “The Truth Is in the Dirt,” two numbers that nicely showcase her versatility and approach to performance. Recommended.