When superstars like David Bowie and Neil Young reinvent themselves it's headline news, but cultish figure Mark Lanegan has been no less successful a shape shifter throughout his career, despite his lower profile. Lanegan's virulent rock side was always in full freak mode with Screaming Trees, but his solo work (begun during breaks from Screaming Trees, continued after the band's dissolution) has focused upon quiet acoustic reflections and rootsy explorations. On last fall's EP, Here Comes That Weird Chill (Methamphetamine Blues, Extras, And Oddities), Lanegan merged folk/blues introspection with the Trees' flailing rock abandon with satisfying results, including a faithfully energetic cover of Captain Beefheart's "Clear Spot" and the Tom Waits-on-crank blister of "Methamphetamine Blues." Bubblegum is the full-length expansion of that synthesis, a similarly weird and wonderful hybrid of loud/hushed, hard/soft, and sparse/dense dynamics. Lanegan balances the full bore rock of "Methamphetamine Blues" (here a shambling T. Rex-covers-Howlin' Wolf cut) and the high-voltage riffing of "Sideways in Reverse" against the Eno-like ambient power of "Come to Me" (a duet with P.J. Harvey), the Jeff Buckley-channeling reverence of "One Hundred Days," and the sinewy Nick Cave intensity of "Can't Come Down." As broad ranging and unrelated as these tracks might seem, Lanegan flawlessly unifies these disparate styles into his own unique sound.

"When superstars like David Bowie and Neil Young reinvent themselves it's headline news, but cultish figure Mark Lanegan has been no less successful a shape shifter throughout his career, despite his lower profile. Lanegan's virulent rock side was always in full freak mode with Screaming Trees, but his solo work (begun during breaks from Screaming Trees, continued after the band's dissolution) has focused upon quiet acoustic reflections and rootsy explorations. On last fall's EP, Here Comes That Weird Chill (Methamphetamine Blues, Extras, And Oddities), Lanegan merged folk/blues introspection with the Trees' flailing rock abandon with satisfying results, including a faithfully energetic cover of Captain Beefheart's ""Clear Spot"" and the Tom Waits-on-crank blister of ""Methamphetamine Blues."" Bubblegum is the full-length expansion of that synthesis, a similarly weird and wonderful hybrid of loud/hushed, hard/soft, and sparse/dense dynamics. Lanegan balances the full bore rock of ""Methamphetamine Blues"" (here a shambling T. Rex-covers-Howlin' Wolf cut) and the high-voltage riffing of ""Sideways in Reverse"" against the Eno-like ambient power of ""Come to Me"" (a duet with P.J. Harvey), the Jeff Buckley-channeling reverence of ""One Hundred Days,"" and the sinewy Nick Cave intensity of ""Can't Come Down."" As broad ranging and unrelated as these tracks might seem, Lanegan flawlessly unifies these disparate styles into his own unique sound. "