Scarlett Johansson’s Waits Take

What’s more appealing than a beautiful girl singing Tom Waits songs? For some, nothing. Though much has been said (and speculated about) regarding Miss Johansson’s decision to record an album of Tom Waits covers (well, there is one original tune on there, but you wouldn’t be able to pick it out if you weren’t at all familiar with Waits), the actual reviews are pretty much split down the middle.

Let’s slow down for a second, though. Two years ago, Johansson was approached to record an album with Atco/Rhino. She agreed, and then began considering what she might do. She realized she wanted to sing “I Never Talk To Strangers.” Then she decided that all she wanted to do was covers. Waits covers. She hired TV on the Radio’s David Andrew Sitek to produce for her because a) he knew a ton of talented musicians he wanted to bring on board (David Bowie, Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner) and b) he told her he wanted the album to sound like “Tinkerbell on cough syrup.” What resulted was exactly that, and the mixed reviews Wherever I Lay My Head is getting are a reflection of his success. On the one hand, many are totally charmed by her lower register’s ethereal interpretations of Waits’ grouchy grumbles. On the other, there’s a bit of preciousness and unbelievability to her delivery: are we really supposed to believe this darling lady is slinging red rice and beans and kickin’ it with street musicians in NOLA? Despite her best attempts at an album that focuses as much on the collaboration between her and Sitek, the arrangements and the production, Johansson has little more than a Precious Moments collectible on her hands.

When Johansson sang at Coachella with Jesus and Mary Chain last year, it wasn’t (just) because she was a singer, it was because she was a celebrity singer. It was special only because it wasn’t a nameless, faceless backup singer that no one remembered the next day. Yet, a simple guest appearance with an indie rock supergroup was little more than street cred for Johansson and novelty for the rest of us. Did anyone really remember her performance the next day? Her record has a similar effect. Tom Waits songs + pretty girl, great voice [should] = awesome. Listening to the songs, however, it becomes clear that two awesome things coming together don’t necessarily yield those results. Sean Fennessey gets it right: “This album is sort of like if the 25-man roster of the New York Mets came to my office and rapped the Pharcyde’s “She Said” at me. Two things I love dearly coming together - and it’s not quite right.”

Scarlett Johansson MySpace

Originally @ Austinist.