Tom Waits, the singer, is not necessarily the best interpreter of Tom Waits, the songwriter. Over the past half-century, the gravelly warbler has created a singular body of work, much of it composed in collaboration with spouse Kathleen Brennan. But his harsh voice, a blend of Howlin’ Wolf, Captain Beefheart, and your basic skid-row bum, can make it hard to appreciate these thoughtful tunes.
Numerous single-artist and various-artist albums have previously explored the Waits-Brennan canon; one standout is 2019’s Come on Up to the House: Women Sing Waits, featuring the likes of Rosanne Cash, Phoebe Bridgers, and Iris DeMent. Collecting previously recorded material, the 19-track Where the Willow and the Dogwood Grow is compiled with the involvement of Waits and Brennan, making this an authorized slant on the oeuvre. It’s the perfect starting point for Waits newbies who have trouble separating performer and tunesmith.
