Bubblegum
Released
2004’s Bubblegum was Mark Lanegan’s first release as the Mark Lanegan Band, a slight flag of convenience for what was even more of a superstar backing crew than ever, from P. J. Harvey to Izzy Stradlin and back again, including Queens of the Stone Age compatriots Josh Homme and Nick Oliveri. Yet Lanegan’s sheer presence always holds the spotlight over another set of varied, astonishing songs, from spare ruminations to full-bodied rock drama, shot through with lyrics capturing the end of his marriage to Wendy Rae Fowler, who also appears throughout.