Chips Moman and Dan Penn wrote “The Dark End Of The Street” in 1966, and soul singer James Carr initially recorded it as his signature single. Carr’s version dented the Billboard Hot 100 and inspired eventual covers by Aretha Franklin, Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner, Elvis Costello, Frank Black, and more. Now, Gahan brings a bluesy grit to this take uplifted by his inimitable delivery.
Gahan and Soulsavers preceded the album with a cover of Cat Power’s “Metal Heart.” Spotlighting the track, Brooklyn Vegan wrote, “His version starts much like Cat Power’s spare original, from 1998’s Moon Pix, with just his voice and a guitar, but it soon grows into a full-on, stadium-sized rock epic,” and mxdwn praised, “The soft sentimental song floods the listener’s ears with magnificent harmonies alongside the slow building percussive elements that crescendo towards an uplifting end.” Additional positive coverage includes but is not limited to The Guardian, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Stereogum and many others. Clash notes, that Imposter is, “a rare chance to hear Dave Gahan sing other people’s material, but it’s also much more than a standard covers record.”
On Imposter, Dave takes listeners on a personal journey of 12 meticulously chosen reimagined songs from across genres and time periods, including selections from Neil Young, Bob Dylan, PJ Harvey, Charlie Chaplin and Mark Lanegan, amongst others. One would be remiss to refer to Imposter as a cover album. Rather, Imposter is a story of songs, which Dave Gahan & Soulsavers listened to, studied, absorbed, and gave a new life. All of the songs have deep meaning to Dave, making Imposter a reflection of Dave’s life – a story told by others, but in his own distinct voice.
Imposter track listing:
- The Dark End of the Street
- Strange Religion
- Lilac Wine
- I Held My Baby Last Night
- A Man Needs a Maid
- Metal Heart
- Shut Me Down
- Where My Love Lies Asleep
- Smile
- The Desperate Kingdom of Love
- Not Dark Yet
- Always On My Mind
The recording of Imposter was done live as a ten-member band at the famed Shangri-La Recording Studio in Malibu, CA in November of 2019. This allowed for not only a more intimate collaboration than on previous Dave Gahan and Soulsavers projects, but let them truly absorb the atmosphere and have the space to breathe a different spirit into the tracks. In an interview with podcaster and media personality Chris Black, Dave noted, “This was the first time we were all in one space. It was kind of lucky [timing] as well… Arriving at Shangri-La every day, it was magical. We’d have coffee, go in, and work.”
Imposter is the collaborators’ third album, following their critically acclaimed 2015 release Angels & Ghosts and their first release, 2012’s The Light the Dead See. The album will be released in digital, as well as physical formats, worldwide on November 12th through Columbia Records.
Visit www.DaveGahan.com and Instagram.com/theimposter for additional album information and updates.
