Scarlett Johansson's newly released album of Tom Waits covers receives negative reviews.

Here's the video for Falling Down.
Falling Down.


from yahoo:

Actress Scarlett Johansson's latest film work may be getting the red carpet treatment at Cannes, but her debut album, released on Tuesday, is drawing fire from music critics.

"Anywhere I Lay My Head," a collection of Tom Waits songs recorded by the star of such films as "Match Point," "Lost in Translation" and "Girl with a Pearl Earring," has been described by the actress as "an intimate experience."

But numerous reviews of the album complained that Johansson's vocals end up lost in the lush arrangements of producer David Andrew Sitek, the guitarist and keyboardist for the indie rock band TV on the Radio.

For some critics, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.


"Johansson's voice is unremarkable and her pitch sometimes unsteady; she's a faintly goth Marilyn Manson lost in a sonic fog," wrote Rolling Stone magazine, which gave her a lukewarm 2.5 stars out of five.
Britain's Mojo magazine called the recordings "fussy and forgettable," adding that the decision to begin the album with an instrumental was hardly a vote of confidence in Johansson's vocal abilities.

The disc received a middling "C" grade from Entertainment Weekly magazine, which wrote that her "expressionless voice" was buried "deeply in the druggy ambiance."

And the Washington Post said it was possible to listen to all 40-plus minutes of Johansson's album and "still have no earthly idea what she sounds like."

"The album is ultimately too ethereal for its own good," the Post said. "Every song is like every other song, even the ones that sound different."

The Rhino Records album consists of 11 tracks, all covers of Waits songs except for one original piece co-written by Johansson and Sitek. Two cuts feature David Bowie on backing vocals. The video for the first single, "Falling Down," was directed by Oscar-nominated "Capote" filmmaker Bennett Miller.

Johansson's latest film, Woody Allen's "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," premiered at the Cannes film festival in France on Saturday. The 23-year-old actress, who did not attend the festival, plays a lovelorn American tourist in Spain.

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but she's sooooo hot. so a lack of talent shouldn't really matter in today's music business should it?

one, covering tom is ballsy for anyone, especially for a (no offense ladies) woman. kim taylor (clap hands, chocolate jesus), cat power (yesterday is here) sarah mclachlan (old 55), are some of the few that i can think of off the top of my head that has done it exceptionally well. kim sort of "channels" tom more than covers him.

two, trying to pull off and entire album of tom covers is pretty ambitious for anyone.

i give her an "A" for effort (and because she's hot)... a C-/D+ for results based on what i've heard so far.

one of these days i'm gonna talk K&L (or beat them into submission) into covering "cold cold ground" tho...

Two thumbs down based on half of Falling Down. I've spent some time in a studio, and I know what they do to vocal tracks to cover singers who can't sing, and they've done that here. Sounds like a cheap version of Niko on modern recording equipment. Poor girl. She can't act either.

Scarlett may be hot, but if Falling Down is any indication then C- is pretty generous for this album.

I'd just like to see Tom's reaction when he sees the video.

Tell us how you really feel. Heeheheh.

No, I'm kind of avoiding this album because I'm sure you're right. Just because she's been in two of my all time favorite films (Lost in Translation, Ghost World) doesn't mean I have to listen to her sing.

Oh, belly. She can certainly act. She was great in Lost in Translation (esp. given her age), and Girl With a Pearl Earing is one of the more under-rated films of the last 5 years.

However, she should sue whoever talked her into making this train-wreck of a record.

Poor Tom. :[ I'm really tired of this cross-over actress/singer/model thing. Pick one thing and be good at it for pete's sake.

I had been cautiously optimistic about it since I like Scarlett's speaking voice and I like quite a few Waits covers sung by female singers. but this album makes Baby Chocolate Jesus cry.

oh. my. god.

SESSIONS: Scarlett Johansson Live Performance

make. it. stop. please!

Or if she's going to sing those songs, at least have her do it naked.

my god, that's a damn fine group of players behind her too. at least she didn't completely suck at shaking the bells.

Yeah, I'd say that pretty much sums it up!

oh, and i rescind my initial generosity, based on hearing more, it's an "F" (but she's still hot).

yeah, that's some real ugly singin'.

how can someone like the dude from TV on the Radio produce something like that?

You all can laugh if you like, but believe it or not, I kinda don't mind her sound. Don't know if I'd like a full CD of her, but I've heard much worse. Ol' Tom ain't got the prettiest set of pipes and neither did TVZ, but I still like them both.

Cher

The CD sure got the attention of the Wall Street Journal this past week, who made a huge feature article out of this project and did a well thought through article on it - bottom line, giving her a lot of credit. I haven't heard anything from the CD, but it sure was refreshing to see something in print like that instead of the usual boring drivel about entertainers not being photo ready 24/7 or not meeting some photo journalists 24/7 ideal of what is the acceptable fashion attire of the week.

Carolyn

The CD sure got the attention of the Wall Street Journal this past week, who made a huge feature article out of this project and did a well thought through article on it - bottom line, giving her a lot of credit. I haven't heard anything from the CD, but it sure was refreshing to see something in print like that instead of the usual boring drivel about entertainers not being photo ready 24/7 or not meeting some photo journalists 24/7 ideal of what is the acceptable fashion attire of the week.

Carolyn

The CD sure got the attention of the Wall Street Journal this past week, who made a huge feature article out of this project and did a well thought through article on it - bottom line, giving her a lot of credit. I haven't heard anything from the CD, but it sure was refreshing to see something in print like that instead of the usual boring drivel about entertainers not being photo ready 24/7 or not meeting some photo journalists 24/7 ideal of what is the acceptable fashion attire of the week.

Carolyn

when i first heard her singing i just thought it sounded too electronicized(is that a word? anyway ya know what i mean)if you watch the videos of her singing live without all the crap though i think she has a pretty interesting voice.i like interesting voices and i think hers is kinda cool.just wanted to throw that in.

Yeah, like Brad Pitt trying to be an architect, or John Travolta flying planes...sheesh, who do these people think they are anyway?

Be passionate about other things, sure, but don't sell me some over produced, insincere crap you call 'music'. There is such a huge difference between passion and soul and ashley tisdale. (sorry ash.)

Thank god I'm not the only one who thought this album was swill .... at least OTR paid Tom a good tribute with their song and that one song counteracts the horrible insult she's done with that CD (not even dignified to all it an album or record).