Releasing an album of Tom Waits covers is a hell of a way to make a debut as a singer. Waits, of course, is a highly regarded songwriter whose coarse, trademark voice doesn't invite easy imitation. But on Anywhere I Lay My Head, actress-turned-songbird Scarlett Johansson and producer Dave Sitek (of TV on the Radio) creatively rework some of Waits's gems to deliver surprisingly pleasing results.

In "Town with No Cheer," a defeated five-minute ballad about a dry ghost town, Johansson tugs her voice as low as it will go, down to the pit of her diaphragm. It's a voice worlds away from the image of the full-lipped, D-cupped sex symbol currently making headlines for becoming engaged to Hollywood's B-list goofball Ryan Reynolds. Lullaby "I Wish I Was in New Orleans" is soft and childlike, with Johansson whispering in an unusually delicate, girly voice over a twinkling melody fit for an antique jewelry box—she's the daydreaming ballerina, slowly spinning, singing about drinking you under the table.

As with past projects, Sitek gives care to even the slightest sonic details. In "Fannin' Street" he finds the perfect ratio of soft bells to tender drumming. His touches on "I Don't Want to Grow Up"—a subtle rhythmic change in one chorus, an additional layer of chimes in another—keep the repetitive song interesting.

Johansson and Sitek's approach is flattering and refreshing, which will surprise the skeptical bloggers who've been preparing for a career-crossover disaster.

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Lost in Translation recommended