Thomas Truax – Songs From The Films Of David Lynch

Well, you can tell what this album is from the title and fair play to Thomas for giving it a go. First up is Wicked Game. Thomas doesn’t have as strong a voice as Chris Isaak, but then who has? He opts for a Nick Cave style dark and mysterious near growl, which works pretty well. The melody is pedestrian though and he just about gets away with it. Then Twin Peaks (Falling) is turned into a quite boisterous, slightly drunken ramble. Again it suffers from not being as great as the ethereal Julee Cruise original, or even the Wedding Present’s indie drone version. The strength of the original versions hampers Thomas, and you’re starting to wonder if he should have picked a less ambitious project. Baby Please Don’t Go is rendered all sleazy rock n roll, rumbling along like a less dangerous Cramps. I don’t know the original of this, which helps somewhat. Blue Velvet is fine enough, but highlights Thomas’s weak singing voice and lack of care round a tune. I’m Deranged is the sound of a man wandering round a western ghost town, while Audrey’s Dance is suitably spooky and grim, the discordant instrumental leaving you disorientated. Black Tambourine tries to sound like the shuffling loveliness of Beck’s original but just sounds a bit muddy and murky and unfocused. I Put A Spell On You doesn’t leave behind any mark while In Heaven is wonderful, suitably creepy and the first thing to sound like it still belongs in a David Lynch film. Finally we come full circle, to a limp version of In Dreams, where the vocals obviously couldn’t be a patch on Roy Orbison’s, but are nowhere near. If you aim for the stars and haven’t got the reach in your capacity, it’s a long way to fall and you end up with egg on your face.

Songs From The Films Of David Lynch is out now on SL Records
Thomas Truax's website is here