Booth And The Bad Angel: Booth And The Bad Angel

As the lead singer of James, Tim Booth never received the credit he deserved: The 1993 single "Laid" should have been 10 times the hit it was, while the band's moodier contributions were often beautiful and emotionally resonant. Now Booth is collaborating with composer Angelo Badalamenti (of Twin Peaks soundtrack fame), and the result isn't nearly as compelling as it should have been. Badalamenti's keyboard work isn't anything special: He contributes a few interesting touches, slipping Twin Peaks-style flourishes into "Hands in the Rain," but he doesn't take Booth's distinctive voice anyplace it hasn't already been. (Remember, James' most recent album Wah Wah was a collaboration with ambient-music pioneer Brian Eno.) As a result, the muddled Booth and the Bad Angel grows on you awfully slowly, with precious few songs ("I Believe," the gloomier "Dance of the Bad Angels") serving as mitigating factors.