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Scarlett Johansson: One Of The Most Brilliant Records You'll Hear This Year, Honestly

Posted Fri May 2, 2008 12:18pm PDT by Dan Martin in The NME Blog

When Scarlett Johansson's name was linked to the role of Courtney Love in the forthcoming adaptation of Kurt biopic Heavier Than Heaven, it was a rumour we were inclined to believe. Not just because of insider knowledge, but because we at NME had heard word that Scarlett was about to do a pretty decent turn as a rock star in her own right.

Buzz around her debut album as a real-life muso, Anywhere I Lay My Head, has been buzzing for a while now. And this week it arrived in the postbags of us U.K. journalists.

And simply: Wow.

If you thought a Hollywood A-lister recording an album of Tom Waits covers sounded like a folly too far, it's because you couldn't have imagined a Hollywood A-lister could throw such a totemic curveball of a vocal performance. She sounds like Nico, only grander, and more like a space alien. And possibly even more nonchalant and detached. It's like Dusty Springfield was in My Bloody Valentine.

All complete with breathtaking production from Dave Sitek--named only last week in NME as the number-one most exciting futurist innovator operating in music right now. And guest vocals from David Bowie. And guitars from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Nick Zinner. What's not to go silly over?

With Amy Winehouse turning Bond Girl (sorta), barriers are becoming nicely blurred by a new generation of she-rockers who recall an older kind of star magic. A fantasy line between futurist music and old-school Hollywood.

We're not so sure about today's news that Nicole Kidman (a woman last heard duetting "Somethin' Stupid" with Robbie Williams) is going to produce and star in a movie about Dusty Springfield, but you can't have everything:

http://www.nme.com/news/dusty-springfield/36375

Check out a future issue of NME for an exclusive in-depth interview with Scarlett herself, and try and cross your legs until Anywhere I Lay My Head is released later this month, because it will slay you.

795 Comments

141. EbayReina -
i was excited till i heard it, i have to totaly dissagree with this article. she sounds flat and bland. there is not beauty in her voice. her voice sounds like they just put too much music over it, they are trying to hide it with weird music. if i were in concert i would have to BOOOO.

stick with acting, your awsome at that and that should be fufilling enough!

142. Julio -
It is absolutely awful. Man, I can tell as a amateur musician with a mini - home studio, that even I can do better. She sings terrible, flat and slightly out of tone. Are you sure is not something she recorded drunk in a Karaoke while making "Lost in Translation"?

143. Lucien -
This article hyped up the song too much. I was expecting something that would floor me, but this is just mediocre crap trying to come off as brilliant. Sorry to anyone who likes it but that's how I feel.

144. -
Where is Beavis and Butthead when you need a good reviews...."Change the channel, change it"

145. Yahoo! Music User -
What acting did she even do? It looks like a camera followed her to a photo shoot and then they just put the song to it! And it doesn't even sound like she's "Singing," but like she's just talking in a melodic way. No, I'm not impressed. The song itself isn't bad, but the vocals are lacking! But she is a very talented actress, so I think she should stick to that. I won't even waste my time downloading this stuff for free, let alone spend 20 bucks on the album. Let's all pray to the rock gods that she doesn't play Courtney Love, because unless they're going to have her lip-sync to Courtney's vocals, there is no way she'll do her justice! And that's sad because Courtney isn't that great of a vocalist, either!

146. pete -
urr kidding.. rite?

147. Yahoo! Music User -
It's quite unfair that while the world is full of really great, creative musicians, it's actors who are known for their beauty that are getting publicity. ...argh. I have not heard the album, but this song is awful

148. hunnyl -
HIDEOUS

149. Daniel B -
song is terrible, stick to acting please

150. Ian D -
Jesus, either someone's in Dan Martin's pockets (The Author) or he's simply got the worst taste in music. How else can you explain an endorsement of that abortion of a song. I'm a huge Scarlett fan, but this is terrible. One word: FLAT.

151. Yahoo! Music User -
eh it was ok but it was more like a 4 min documentory on a day in scarlett johansson's life. it was more like a comercial also but i did even see her sing it could have been someone else singing for all we know.

152. JennaB -
Why does everyone keep saying she has a bad voice? You cant even HEAR her voice! She has been dubbed so heavily that not only can you barely hear HER voice (because there are several voices here) you cannot even tell what she is saying. She has chopped up a very good song and turned it into a bad nightmare.

I did however check out some of her other songs (anywhere I lay my head), you hear a little bit more of her voice for a split second until she realized "oh crap , I forgot to turn up the music" then all was gone. That spilt second sounded like someone singing in the shower. Someone who could not HOLD A NOTE singing in the shower.

153. JennaB -
Oh and the bad thing is, I love Scarlett Johansson.

154. Yahoo! Music User -
Yeah........not so much. She needs to stick to acting. I think her record will flop.

155. iversam -
im goin to havta hear more b4 i judge...cuz that was terrible...good thing she hot tho or i wouldnt give it another listen

156. Crickle -
oh I wanted to like it I really really wanted to but it just wasnt good!! and she pretty much just said the same thing over and over sorry Scarlett this just wasnt for you!!

157. -
THIS IS AWFULL!!! I just read an article that talks up this record. Then i listen to this crap wow.. bad Job.... Still thought I mean still.. Shes still so effin hot... but this song was awful..

158. Helen -
I think Zoe Deschenel has this exact same sound but more musically on pitch. She doesn't rely so heavily on a filter and distortion. Just not that great. And this sound HAS been done before.

159. MeganM -
I like it. She has a unique personal style, and its refreshing to see something different come out of a starlet's mouth. She is not the average pop diva...like lindsay lohan, or the simpson sistiers. I think she is just trying to express herself through music, and it's beautiful. Try not to be so negative people.

160. brandy -
lol this sounds HORRIBLE
i expected to hear a great angelic sound
but
instead she sounds more like a man

i think she should stick with acting because obviously the whole singing thing is NOT working for her, DONT QUIT YOUR DAY JOB SCARLETT!
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