MARIANNE FAITHFULL

'Before the Poison' is poetic and unnerving; it stands alone in her catalog in the same way that 'Broken English' did - but this time, on the other side of the mirror.

That said, there is plenty of human shadow in these ten songs. PJ Harvey wrote three songs here, co-wrote a pair with Faithfull, and is present on all of them. Nick Cave co-wrote three with the singer and his Bad Seeds back her on these tracks. She also co-wrote one a piece with Blur's Damon Albarn and composer Jon Brion. Along with Harvey and Cave, Rob Ellis and Hal Willner aided in production. Therefore, Before the Poison, like its predecessor, Kissin' Time, is an album of collaborations. But unlike that offering, this one is seamless; its songs are sequenced impeccably and all feel of a piece linked by emotional thematics.