The Twilight Singers Play Blackberry Belle

The death of a close friend lent a poignant spur to the making of this album, on which Dulli explores the old Whigs themes of lust, shame, sleaze and redemption with his usual impassioned extravagance; lines such as "infect me, protect me / she gonna resurrect me, I know" ("Papillon") abound. The way a song like "Decatur St" bursts into flames as it hits the chorus reignites memories of the Whigs' Gentlemen, but musically, this is a richer, more darkly diverse mix, drawing on a palate of 1970s soul, alt. country and even prog rock, with flourishes of mellotron on "The Killer".

From the sinfully funky "Teenage Wristband" to the closing "Number 9" in which he (and Laneghan) engage in earnest dialogue with the Devil, Blackberry Belle is a near-flawless example of Greg Dulli's particularly black art. --David Stubbs