Cover art is probably one of the least essential ingredients in the making of a successful album. And yet, it's always strangely satisfying to buy a record and find that the artist has managed to capture the essence of their record via a simple insert. Salient examples include the chaos of Pavement's Slanted and Enchanted or the ethereal nature of Sigur Rós' Agætis Byrjun.
Fortuitously pairing with former Screaming Trees frontman and Queens of the Stone Age collaborator Mark Lanegan, UK electronica duo Soulsavers have done the same with their album It's Not How Far You Fall, It's How You Land, conveying feelings toward spiritual redemption of both desire and avoidance.
The album relies on the gothic-americana of Lanegan's solo efforts coupled with a heaping portion of soul. Not soul as in the Four Tops and Aretha Franklin but more like if Johnny Cash tried his hand at gospel tunes.
Containing three covers, five songs co-written by Lanegan and guest appearances by Will Oldham, PW Long and Doves' guitarist Jimi Goodwin, it's hard to see how the downtempo duo of Ian Gloves and Rich Machin are the ones to attach their names to the front of this album. Their minimalist beats, unremarkable on previous efforts, again take a backseat.
The airtight Revival"" begins the album as a single overtly reminiscent of ""I Was a Lover"" from TV on the Radio's 2006 album Return to Cookie Mountain. It is impassioned, sparse and stuttering and captures the essential aesthetic of the remainder of the album, the subtlety of which is apparent only after repeated listenings. The opener may, however, be the only song painted with more than a dash of hope. The remaining songs combine to create an increasingly bleak landscape akin to a dark and deserted desert highway.
In contrast, there are moments when it feels as though It's Not How Far You Fall could be the soundtrack for the marginal Keanu Reeves flick ""Constantine."" The insistent and irritating wailing on ""Paper Money"" and the assertive dissonance throughout do nothing to assuage this judgement. But the stark, beautiful melancholy that permeates the album, especially on the bare rendition of Neil Young's ""Through My Sails"" provides an unwavering counterpoint. Soulsavers even manage to make the Rolling Stones sound like despairing poet laureates with their cover of ""No Expectations."" The original material echoes this striking sentiment just as well.
Contemplative, meticulous and, above all, dark, It's Not How Far You Fall, It's How You Land may at first appear slow and repetitive, but the imminent climaxes are eminently rewarding. Once the listener accepts the gravelly Tom Waits-like drone of Lanegan's voice, the atmospheric organ and guitar prove that, like a slice of buttered toast, Soulsavers have landed better side up.
