20 Signs of Life in 2002

The dark, cinematic drama of Tom Waits’ double dose of grim art in Alice and Blood Money came as an antidote to the superficial pop music proclamations that we strip down and get "Dirrty," ‘cause it’s "Hot in Herre." War and rumors of war may drive some to drink, dance and be merry, but Waits chooses to howl at the moon. Like circus music in an alternative universe that’s too much like real life, he is the barker shouting out the painful sideshow acts most of us would prefer to miss but somehow find ourselves unable to look away from. And in the artfulness of his songs, written with wife and producer Kathleen Brennan, Waits unearths the beauty that can only be seen in ugly things.

Based loosely on Lewis Carroll’s grand tale, Alice is a journey through a dreary modern wonderland where "everyone’s hiding their tears," and we’re "Lost in the Harbour." The sadder and softer of the two, this disc tames Waits’ growl more often, revealing the tender side in songs of affection amid the anthems of displacement.

Blood Money is angrier, harsher and ultimately more striking. Inspired by Woyzeck, the 19th-century play of murder, mayhem and madness by Georg Buchner, Blood Money sees the dark farce of human existence when "God’s Away on Business" and "Everything Goes to Hell." "Coney Island Baby," a gentle love song, softens expectations with the possibility of love’s redemption, but death is a harsh "Lullaby" when you’re "Starving in the Belly of a Whale."

Literate and filled with black wit stark enough to match Waits’ gruff vocals, these two albums affirm the importance of life and love by giving meaning and purpose to the pain and loss we feel when things go awry.

See the rest of our 20 Signs of Life in 2002.