Hear all of Scarlett Johansson's "Anywhere I Lay My Head"

Scarlett Johansson's debut "Anywhere I Lay My Head" was officially released today via streaming service Imeem. While not due in stores until next Tuesday (May 20), those with Imeem accounts can hear the full album now. Those without can make do with 30-second excerpts, but are also invited to embed the album like so:

While far from a new move, Johansson's label (Warner-owned imprint Atco/Rhino Records) certainly deserves credit for allowing fans a peek into Johannsson's highly anticipated debut a week early, especially considering the label is allowing fans to share the content. This, of course, comes after having some earlier leaked songs taken down from Imeem.

Aside from the curiosity factor that comes with an actor turned musician, Johansson's album, largely a low-key mix of dreamy, studio atmospherics, is drawing attention for tackling the songs of cult hero Tom Waits, and working with a host of acclaimed artists like David Bowie and TV on the Radio producer Dave Sitek. A video for Johansson's "Falling Down," the song Bowie guests on, has already been released.

Early reactions have been mixed. Wired's Listening Post compared Johansson to the Cocteau Twins, and the Playlist was a bit more critical. In a Sunday essay, my colleague Ann Powers critiqued the album. Here's a brief excerpt from her review:

"Anywhere I Lay My Head" is, in fact, not a great success. But its ambitions are fairly huge. In fact, it's really three albums: an excellent Waits compilation that plunges deep into the soil of his catalog; a re-imagining of the Waits sound by Sitek, who delights at the chance to experiment with adding new elements to music that's clearly influenced his own work; and Johansson's debut. Had a band name graced the project instead of Johansson's, it might seem like a greater success; her voice is best understood as an element in Sitek's wide-ranging constructions, not a central force.

Photo from Atco/Rhino

Comments

[Sandy]

Admire Tome Waits, love Scalett but I'm not a fan of her album, or attempt to sing. The producing rocks though.
http://grimygoods.com/2008/05/15/scarlett-johansson-sings/