Screaming Trees | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Where many of their Seattle-based contemporaries dealt in reconstructed Black Sabbath and Stooges riffs, Screaming Trees fused 60s psychedelia and garage rock with 70s hard rock and 80s punk. Over the course of their career, their more abrasive punk roots eventually gave way to a hard-edged, rootsy psychedelia that drew from rock and folk equally. After releasing several albums on indie labels like SST and Sub Pop, Screaming Trees moved to Epic Records in 1989. Though they were one of the first Seattle bands to sign with a major label, the group never attained the popularity of fellow Northwestern bands (and friends) like Nirvana and Soundgarden, largely due to their erratic work schedule. Throughout their career, the Trees were notorious for drinking and fighting, which caused them to break up briefly at several points in their career. Nevertheless, the band managed to cultivate a dedicated following, which included not only fans but also fellow musicians. Brothers Van Conner (bass) and Gary Lee Conner (guitar) formed Screaming Trees with Mark Lanegan (vocals) in the mid-80s. Lanegan and the Conners grew up in Ellensburg, Washington, a small college town some 90 miles from Seattle. The trio were the only people in their high school who listened to punk, garage rock, and independent music, so they eventually gravitated toward each other. After falling out with the Conners before either completed school, Lanegan contacted Van Conner several years later. By that point, Van had a band with a singer named Mark Pickerel; the pair had recently kicked Lee Conner out of the band, so they invited Lanegan to sit in on drums. Eventually, Lee rejoined the group and they settled on a lineup that featured Lee on guitar, Van on bass, Lanegan on vocals, and Pickerel on drums. Taking their name from a guitar distortion pedal, Screaming Trees recorded their first demo tape in 1985, just a few months after their formation. Their producer, Steve Fisk, was able to convince the head of Velvetone Studios to release an album by the band, The result, Clairvoyance, appeared on Velvetone Records in 1986. With Clairvoyance in hand, Fisk was able to secure Screaming Trees a contract with Greg Ginns SST Records, who had already been releasing albums by Fisk. The bands first SST album, Even If and Especially When, was released in 1987 and the Trees began working the dying American indie circuit, playing shows across the country. The following year, SST reissued the bands demo tape under the title Other Worlds as well as their third album, Invisible Lantern. Following the release of Buzz Factory in 1989, the groups contract with SST expired and they made the Change Has Come EP for Sub Pop early the following year. By that time, tensions in the band had grown somewhat, and the group spent most of 1990 working on side projects. Mark Lanegan recorded a solo album, The Winding Sheet, which featured support from Nirvanas Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic; the album appeared on Sub Pop. Both of the Conners formed new bands and released albums on the SST subsidiary New Alliance. Vans band was called Solomon Grundy; Lees was Purple Outside. By the end of 1990, the band had signed a major-label contract with Epic Records. Screaming Trees reconvened to record their Epic debut, Uncle Anesthesia, with Chris Cornell of Soundgarden and Terry Date as producers. Uncle Anesthesia appeared in early 1991 and, although it sold better than their previous efforts, the band remained a cult act. For much of the year, in fact, Van Conner was on hiatus from the band, choosing to tour as bassist with Dinosaur Jr. instead. Late in 1991, Nirvanas Nevermind became an unexpected commercial success, opening the gates for the rest of the Seattle scene. Where many of their peers were able to capitalize on that success, Screaming Trees suffered more setbacks than the rest. Before they began work on their follow-up to Uncle Anesthesia, Pickerel left the group and was replaced by Barrett Martin. Once Martin joined, the band finished "Nearly Lost You," their contribution to the Singles soundtrack, and their 1992 album Sweet Oblivion. "Nearly Lost You" became an MTV and alternative radio hit in the fall of 1992, thanks to the momentum of the Singles soundtrack. The single carried Sweet Oblivion -- which had received more press attention than any previous Screaming Trees album -- to the groups strongest sales, peaking at over 300,000 copies. The band supported Sweet Oblivion with a yearlong tour, during which they fought frequently. After the tour was finished, the group decided to take an extended hiatus. During that time, Lanegan recorded his second solo album, Whiskey for the Holy Ghost, which was released in 1994. That same year, Martin drummed in the Layne Staley (Alice in Chains) and Mike McCready (Pearl Jam) side project Mad Season, which released its only album in the spring of 1995. In early 1995, Screaming Trees regrouped to begin work on their follow-up to Sweet Oblivion. Following one stillborn attempt at the album, the band hired George Drakoulias, who had previously worked with the Black Crowes and the Jayhawks, as producer. The resulting album, Dust, was released in the summer of 1996, nearly four years after its predecessor. Dust was greeted with positive reviews, and its first single, "All I Know," became a moderate hit on modern rock radio. Still, the album didnt sell particularly well, even though the band supported the record by touring with 1996s Lollapalooza. Following the Dust tour, Screaming Trees took another hiatus, with Lanegan beginning work on his third solo album, Scraps at Midnight, which was released in 1998. When Lanegan completed another solo project the following year (Ill Take Care of You), it seemed to confirm that the Trees strained relationships would make it impossible for the band to continue. Following a June 25, 2000, concert to celebrate the opening of Seattles Experience Music Project, the group unsurprisingly announced its official breakup. Released in 2005, Ocean of Confusion: Songs of Screaming Trees 1989-1996 gathered highlights from the bands Epic years, and included two previously unreleased tracks. After the groups breakup, Lanegan pursued his solo career and worked with a variety of other projects, including Queens of the Stone Age, the Twilight Singers, the Gutter Twins, and a series of duo albums with Isobel Campbell. Van Conner performed and recorded with his band Valis, while Gary Lee Conner returned to action in 2010 with a new group, Microdot Gnome. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 15 Title: Other Worlds Released: 1985 Tracks: 6 Duration: 14:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Like I Said (02:33) 2 Pictures in My Mind (02:00) 3 The Turning (02:47) 4 Other Worlds (02:39) 5 Barriers (02:51) 6 Now Your Mind Is Next to Mine (02:04) |
 | Album: 2 of 15 Title: Clairvoyance Released: 1986 Tracks: 10 Duration: 37:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Orange Airplane (03:02) 2 You Tell Me All These Things (02:12) 3 Standing on the Edge (05:39) 4 Forever (04:22) 5 Seeing and Believing (03:35) 6 I See Stars (04:32) 7 Lonely Girl (03:06) 8 Strange Out Here (04:27) 9 The Turning (02:44) 10 Clairvoyance (04:03) |
| Clairvoyance : Allmusic album Review : Screaming Trees full-length debut is a surprisingly accomplished affair. Unlike many Northwest acts of the time, it doesnt seem to be haunted by the ghosts of the Stooges or the MC5, instead the Doors, perhaps, or possibly even the Teardrop Explodes (Mark Lanegans deep voice is somewhat reminiscent of Jim Morrison or Julian Cope, but with a slight twang). The one contemporary act they most closely resembled at this point in their career would have to be Norman, OKs the Flaming Lips, another gang of iconoclasts who released their first EP in 1985 and first full-length (Hear It Is) the following year. They were neither fish nor fowl -- not exactly punk and not exactly grunge. Like the Flaming Lips, Screaming Trees werent 60s throwbacks either, despite the occasional tambourine or organ flourish. The album starts off with the bang of the Thirteenth Floor Elevatorsish "Orange Airplane," which bears the unmistakable stamp of producer Steve Fisk (Pell Mell, Pigeonhed). A child yells the title over and over again as Screaming Trees plunge into a neo-psychedelic rave-up over and around it. The combination of sampling and garage rock works better than it should. "Standing on the Edge" is another standout track with a seductive hook and slow buildup in intensity. Gary Lee Conners guitar playing has a Middle Eastern feel throughout (à la the Doors "The End"). Some of the other numbers are a little on the dull side ("I See Stars," "Lonely Girl"), but for the most part, Clairvoyance proves that Screaming Trees would merely be refining -- not developing -- their sound during their higher-profile years on SST and later Epic. Although it doesnt feature any songs quite as catchy as "Something About Today" or "Nearly Lost You" (from their major-label sojourn), this release reveals a band who didnt have far to go to get there. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 15 Title: Even If and Especially When Released: 1987 Tracks: 12 Duration: 36:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Transfiguration (03:55) 2 Straight Out to Any Place (02:00) 3 World Painted (02:59) 4 Dont Look Down (02:54) 5 Girl Behind the Mask (02:33) 6 Flying (03:14) 7 Cold Rain (03:36) 8 Other Days and Different Places (03:12) 9 The Pathway (03:25) 10 You Know Where Its At (02:29) 11 Back Together (02:14) 12 In the Forest (04:06) |
| Even If and Especially When : Allmusic album Review : By essentially "repeating the language of the land and the sky," the Screaming Trees accurately portray the organic spirit of the Pacific Northwest. On tracks such as "Cold Rain" and "In the Forest" their narrative landscapes are not only expressed by the seasoned voice of Mark Lanegan but also by the rich complexity of their song structures. While drummer Mark Pickerel and guitarists Gary Lee and Van Conner provide the energy of a classic garage band, producer Steve Fisk molds their groundwork and pop sensibilities into the realms of proto-grunge. Along with fellow SST labelmates Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr., the Screaming Trees served as true pioneers of the burgeoning genre. With distorted guitars and meaningful poetics becoming the norm of the late 80s, Even If and Especially When stands as a commendable album and a telling preview of what was to later come from the Seattle scene. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 15 Title: Invisible Lantern Released: 1988 Tracks: 12 Duration: 41:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Ivy (03:19) 2 Walk Through to This Side (02:34) 3 Lines & Circles (03:46) 4 She Knows (02:17) 5 Shadow Song (04:19) 6 Grey Diamond Desert (04:24) 7 Smokerings (03:45) 8 The Second I Awake (03:02) 9 Invisible Lantern (03:04) 10 Even If (03:50) 11 Direction of the Sun (02:56) 12 Night Comes Creeping (03:54) |
| Invisible Lantern : Allmusic album Review : On Screaming Trees third full-length release, Invisible Lantern, the band further refined their early psychedelic garage sound. The group had become a bona fide cult success by the time of this release, but the indie scene was losing steam and this disc (while superior to earlier efforts) didnt garner enough critical or commercial attention to move the band into mainstream awareness. The music of Invisible Lantern is spirited and raw -- a swirling garage pop that, while repetitive, has a character all its own. Looking back, fans will notice that singer Mark Lanegan still hadnt found his unique tonality that listeners most familiar with the groups one and only radio hit (1992s "Nearly Lost You") might recognize. Besides the unrealized potential of Lanegans performances, this early-career release suffers a little from meandering song structures and other sonic deficiencies that the band eventually overcame. Thats not to say that there arent plenty of fine moments on Invisible Lantern. The hypnotic pop of the records first six tracks is best represented on "Lines and Circles" and "Ivy" -- trippy cuts with interesting lyrics and arrangements. Other straight-ahead tracks like "Walk Through to This Side" and "Night Comes Creeping" provide a nice contrast and energy. Indie fans (resentful of the post-Nirvana Seattle revolution) tend to ignore Screaming Trees later material in favor of earlier offerings like this one. But to unbiased listeners, it might appear that the group simply had two incarnations, the second of which was perhaps more mature. Ultimately, there are as many perspectives on this issue as there are fans and critics. No matter how one interprets the arc of Screaming Trees career, however, Invisible Lantern stands as a solid offering to the waning indie rock movement. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 15 Title: Beat Happening / Screaming Trees Released: 1988 Tracks: 4 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Sea Babies (?) 2 Tales of Brave Aphrodite (?) 3 Polly Pereguin (?) 4 I Dig You (?) |
 | Album: 6 of 15 Title: Buzz Factory Released: 1989 Tracks: 11 Duration: 40:25 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Where the Twain Shall Meet (03:29) 2 Windows (02:42) 3 Black Sun Morning (05:03) 4 Too Far Away (03:37) 5 Subtle Poison (03:53) 6 Yard Trip #7 (02:24) 7 Flower Web (03:41) 8 Wish Bringer (03:06) 9 Revelation Revolution (02:43) 10 The Looking Glass Cracked (03:36) 11 End of the Universe (06:11) |
| Buzz Factory : Allmusic album Review : Buzz Factory would mark the Screaming Trees final recording for SST, but not their last stand as independent recording artists. They would follow up by spending some quality time with Seattle indie Sub Pop, prior to the release of their Epic debut, Uncle Anesthesia, two years later. Produced by the Trees and Jack Endino (Superfuzz Bigmuff, Bleach), Buzz Factory lives up to its title with buzz aplenty courtesy Gary Lee Conners muscular guitar playing. The album is a solid (if not spectacular) send-off, which should come as little surprise -- history will remember the Trees as one of the Northwests most consistent bands. If they never had a hit on par with Nevermind, nor did they ever release any lackluster (or uncharacteristic) recordings in a career that spanned over 15 years. Opening track "Where the Twain Shall Meet" and "Black Sun Morning" are two of the strongest selections. The latter doesnt just have a Soundgarden-style title -- á la "Black Hole Sun" -- but even sounds somewhat like that hard rockin Seattle quartet (also aligned with SST at the time), which is to say it is more anthemic than usual. A sample from an interview briefing is slipped between "Yard Trip #7" and "Flower Web" ("The question will be what kind of trees you are; the answer will be Screaming Trees"). | ||
 | Album: 7 of 15 Title: Change Has Come Released: 1989-12-01 Tracks: 5 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Change Has Come (?) 2 Days (?) 3 Flashes (?) 4 Time Speaks Her Golden Tongue (?) 5 Ive Seen You Before (?) |
 | Album: 8 of 15 Title: Something About Today Released: 1990 Tracks: 3 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Something About Today (?) 2 This Perfect Day (?) 3 New Day Yesterday (?) |
 | Album: 9 of 15 Title: Uncle Anesthesia Released: 1991-01-29 Tracks: 13 Duration: 47:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Beyond This Horizon (04:13) 2 Bed of Roses (03:02) 3 Uncle Anesthesia (03:52) 4 Story of Her Fate (01:40) 5 Caught Between (05:03) 6 Lay Your Head Down (03:32) 7 Before We Arise (02:27) 8 Something About Today (03:02) 9 Alice Said (04:11) 10 Time for Light (03:50) 11 Disappearing (03:12) 12 Ocean of Confusion (03:05) 13 Closer (05:48) |
| Uncle Anesthesia : Allmusic album Review : After a long career with independent label SST, the Screaming Trees arrived at Epic Records with little fanfare (and would leave in much the same way) with 1991s Uncle Anesthesia. Produced by Soundgardens Chris Cornell and metal specialist Terry Date, the album lurches to its feet on the military shuffle of "Beyond This Horizon." Despite offering a few glimpses of the groups punkier side -- "Story of Her Fate," "Alice Said," "Time for Light" -- most of the material emphasizes the Trees mellower inclinations. As its title and disturbing, Alice in Wonderland-inspired cover artwork would suggest, the album also finds the band delving deeper and deeper into their psychedelic tendencies. Gary Lee Conners lysergic guitar textures gently frame Mark Lanegans rough, whiskey-drenched vocals on such highlights as the title track, "Caught Between," and "Something About Today." And while "Bed of Roses" and "Lay Your Head Down" betray a strong R.E.M. influence, songs like "Before We Arise," "Closer," and "Disappearing" (with its Mexican funeral horn section) possess a sense of despair and hopelessness that only Lanegans voice can convey. The last album to feature original drummer Mark Pickerel, Uncle Anesthesia also set the stage for the bands breakthrough, Sweet Oblivion. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 15 Title: Anthology Released: 1991-07-16 Tracks: 21 Duration: 1:13:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Barriers (02:51) 2 The Turning (02:44) 3 Other Worlds (02:39) 4 Transfiguration (03:55) 5 Dont Look Down (02:54) 6 Cold Rain (03:36) 7 In the Forest (04:06) 8 Back Together (02:14) 9 Other Days and Different Planets (03:14) 10 Walk Through to This Side (02:34) 11 Smokerings (03:45) 12 Ivy (03:19) 13 Grey Diamond Desert (04:24) 14 Night Comes Creeping (03:54) 15 Invisible Lantern (03:04) 16 Subtle Poison (03:51) 17 Windows (02:42) 18 Black Sun Morning (05:01) 19 Flower Web (03:41) 20 End of the Universe (05:48) 21 Where the Twain Shall Meet (03:28) |
 | Album: 11 of 15 Title: Sweet Oblivion Released: 1992-09-08 Tracks: 11 Duration: 46:32 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Shadow of the Season (04:33) 2 Nearly Lost You (04:07) 3 Dollar Bill (04:35) 4 More or Less (03:11) 5 Butterfly (03:22) 6 For Celebrations Past (04:09) 7 The Secret Kind (03:08) 8 Winter Song (03:43) 9 Troubled Times (05:20) 10 No One Knows (05:13) 11 Julie Paradise (05:05) |
| Sweet Oblivion : Allmusic album Review : The Screaming Trees one-upped their major-label debut, Uncle Anesthesia, with this solid, vastly underrated effort. Sweet Oblivions lead single, the jumpy hard rocker "Nearly Lost You," proved itself a highlight on the hugely successful, Seattle-themed Singles soundtrack. But even though the Screaming Trees stacked up quite well against their more famous peers in that particular showcase, the exposure didnt make them stars. Perhaps it was because Sweet Oblivion had been released several months before Singles, and the band thus couldnt build a sense of anticipation for a new album release, the way Alice in Chains and Smashing Pumpkins did for Dirt and Siamese Dream, respectively; nor could they capitalize on the extra publicity that goes along with new releases. For whatever reason, Singles didnt push sales of Sweet Oblivion, as the latter only scraped the lower reaches of the Billboard charts. And thats a shame, because the record is quite good -- the best songs here are easily among the best in their catalog, and the songwriting was their most consistent yet. "Nearly Lost You" is a standout, of course, but "Dollar Bill," "Shadow of the Season," and "Butterfly" are nearly as impressive. Mark Lanegans raspy voice conveys a weary wistfulness that adds an unexpected dimension to the groups otherwise macho garage-psych grunge. The Trees no longer sound all that punkish, trading in some of their early, noisy fury for a more 70s-indebted hard rock sound, but its done with a graceful power that proves they were at least the equal of their more famous fellow scenesters. Unfortunately, the four-year hiatus between Sweet Oblivion and its follow-up, Dust, ensured that the band would be forever relegated to cult status. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 15 Title: Dust Released: 1996-06-25 Tracks: 10 Duration: 44:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Halo of Ashes (04:05) 2 All I Know (03:55) 3 Look at You (04:42) 4 Dying Days (04:51) 5 Make My Mind (04:11) 6 Sworn and Broken (03:34) 7 Witness (03:39) 8 Traveler (05:22) 9 Dime Western (03:39) 10 Gospel Plow (06:17) |
| Dust : Allmusic album Review : In many ways, Screaming Trees missed their opportunity. They released Sweet Oblivion just as grunge began to capture national attention and they didnt tour the album extensively, which meant nearly all of their fellow Seattle bands became superstars while they stood to the side. After four years, they returned with Dust, their third major-label album, and by that point, the bands sound was too idiosyncratic for alternative radio. Which is unfortunate, because Dust is the bands strongest album. Sure, the rough edges that fueled albums like Uncle Anesthesia are gone, but in its place is a rustic hard rock, equally informed by heavy metal and folk. The influence of Mark Lanegans haunting solo albums is apparent in both the sound and emotional tone of the record, but this is hardly a solo project -- the rest of the band has added a gritty weight to Lanegans spare prose. Screaming Trees sound tighter than they ever have and their melodies and hooks are stronger, more memorable, making Dust their most consistently impressive record. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 15 Title: Nearly Lost You Released: 2001 Tracks: 10 Duration: 39:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Halo of Ashes (04:05) 2 Nearly Lost You (04:07) 3 Butterfly (03:22) 4 Alice Said (04:11) 5 Dying Days (04:51) 6 Shadow of the Season (04:33) 7 All I Know (03:55) 8 Something About Today (03:02) 9 Uncle Anesthesia (03:52) 10 Ocean of Confusion (03:06) |
| Nearly Lost You : Allmusic album Review : When Soundgarden, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Alice in Chains rocketed up the charts during the early 90s, many expected such veteran Seattle acts as the Melvins, Mudhoney, and the Screaming Trees to follow. And while all three of the aforementioned bands secured major label deals, none scored a massive commercial breakthrough -- although the Screaming Trees came closest. Having benefited from the inclusion of "Nearly Lost You" on the mega hit Singles soundtrack in 1992, the group did score a MTV/radio hit, but failed to follow it up. Its not to say that they didnt have other strong tracks from this period however, as evidenced by the budget priced, ten track collection titled after their aforementioned hit. But this is by no means a definitive Screaming Trees collection, as it only focuses on their three major label full lengths, 1991s Uncle Anesthesia, 1992s Sweet Oblivion, and 1996s Dust, and completely bypasses their 80s era indie releases. Still, these three albums are probably the bands most focused from a songwriting standpoint, as evidenced by such highlights as the aforementioned "Nearly Lost You," as well as "All I Know," "Shadow of the Season," and "Uncle Anesthesia." Nearly Lost You is a fine intro to the Trees later years. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 15 Title: Ocean of Confusion Released: 2005-06-06 Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:17:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Who Lies in Darkness (04:14) 2 Alice Said (04:11) 3 Disappearing (03:12) 4 Ocean of Confusion (03:05) 5 Shadow of the Season (04:34) 6 Nearly Lost You (04:07) 7 Dollar Bill (04:35) 8 More or Less (03:11) 9 For Celebrations Past (04:09) 10 Julie Paradise (05:01) 11 Butterfly (03:22) 12 E.S.K. (04:10) 13 Watchpocket Blues (05:14) 14 Paperback Bible (03:07) 15 Make My Mind (04:11) 16 Dying Days (04:51) 17 Sworn and Broken (03:34) 18 Witness (03:39) 19 Traveler (05:22) |
 | Album: 15 of 15 Title: Last Words: The Final Recordings Released: 2011 Tracks: 10 Duration: 38:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Ash Gray Sunday (03:36) 2 Door Into Summer (03:27) 3 Revelator (04:33) 4 Crawlspace (04:19) 5 Black Rose Way (04:23) 6 Reflections (04:06) 7 Tomorrow Changes (03:51) 8 Low Life (03:49) 9 Anita Grey (03:36) 10 Last Words (03:04) |
| Last Words: The Final Recordings : Allmusic album Review : Despite Screaming Trees frontman Mark Lanegans eventual ascendance to über-hip status as a fire-breathing vocal foil for Isobel Campbell and Josh Homme, the Trees remain the great could-have-beens of the ‘90s Northwestern grunge scene. Of course, part of that may have to do with the fact that they were never really a grunge band to begin with. After all, they preceded grunge by a good few years, releasing their first record on SST -- a (gasp) California label -- and they always seemed more interested in getting in touch with their inner Nuggets garage-psych warriors than recycling Black Sabbath riffs for the alt-rock generation. Still, a rising tide lifts all boats, and they ended up making their last three albums for a major label before falling out of favor to the extent that they couldnt find a home for the follow-up to 1996s Dust. Failing to do so, they split up, and the album they recorded at Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossards studio in 1998-1999 remained in limbo for over a decade before finally being released on Trees drummer Barrett Martins own imprint. Arriving 15 years after Dust, Last Words: The Final Recordings is a tantalizing glimpse of the bands possible path into the 21st century. It suggests that they didnt have any major stylistic shifts in mind for the immediate future; none of the tracks here would have sounded particularly out of place on the previous couple of Trees albums, though the production is not quite as outsized (likely a product of working without a major-label budget). The biggest difference between what would have been the bands final album and its predecessors Sweet Oblivion and Dust is that it leans more toward the ‘60s psych influences of the Trees early years than the mountainous hard-rock riffing they latched onto toward the end of their career. Cuts like "Anita Grey" and "Ash Gray Sunday" (hey, maybe its got something to do with the color scheme) sound more like remnants of the mid-‘80s Paisley Underground era than a post-grunge heavy-rock comedown. Lanegans leonine roar is as mournfully majestic as ever, and the band achieves a righteous rumble that shows they were capable of keeping it all rolling, if given the chance that they unfortunately never got. | ||