Of the Big Four megabands to emerge from the Seattle grunge explosion of the early 90s, the one that stayed below the radar the most is Screaming Trees. Everyone knows Nirvana, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. But for many, the more psychedelically inclined ‘Trees have been somewhat forgotten as the years have passed. And that’s a shame. Because not only were the Screaming Trees very often the best of those four bands in purely musical and creative terms but their lead vocalist, Mark Lanegan, was arguably the second best behind the superhuman lungs of Chris Cornell. And really “best” is a massively subjective term to apply in this instance because it assumes we are judging all vocalists by the same measure. If Rock ‘n Roll has taught us anything it’s that the guy with the rough hewn, damaged and soulful sound can trump the fellow with the operatic range. The epically beautiful “Ode to Sad Disco” from the most recent Mark Lanegan Band album, Blues Funeral, is another strong performance in favor of that argument.

So, equally mystifying to me, is why Lanegan remains a fairly subdued commerical force in his many years as a solo act. Lanegan’s stubborn independence confine him to the small venue circuit and the admiration of those who have followed his journey. And maybe that’s all right. Because when you’re a true Lanegan fan, you’re along for the ride. He’s restlessly leapt from the stripped down death-blues of the immediate post-Trees days; to the fruitful eclectic collaborations with Queens of the Stone Age, as one half of the Gutter Twins (with Greg Dulli of Afghan Wigs) and the very odd but intruiging pairing with Isobel Campbell of Belle & Sebastian. And with Blues Funeral, he’s moved on from the spartan industrial thwomp of the original Mark Lanegan Band to something resembling early 80s New Wave post-punk, one part Joy Division/New Order, one part Depeche Mode. It’s a little startling at first, the sweetness and atmospherics of the music. But then that familiar baritone comes rasping through, lending the gritty lyrics a hard-earned whiskey-soaked experience that cannot be faked. And you know your old pal Mark is still producing top-notch music after all this time by following his own unique vision. And you know that when the chapter in the Book of Rock is finished about him, people are going to realize that he was one of the greats. And you will have followed him from the beginning.

Bonus video: A 4-song live set from the same album — 16 minutes of awesome: