Rock experiments such as super groups often end up being as effective as strapping a rocket to an elephant. Sure it might go far but does it ever go far enough? The lofty expectations of padded resumes and star studded line ups are never met and a nasty ring is left in the listener's ear - enter Them Crooked Vultures.
Rock’s latest group of superdom featuring drummer Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters), bassist John Paul Jones(Led Zeppelin) and vocalsist / riffmeister Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age, Kyuss) put every other super group (with the exception of Cream) to shame on their eponymous debut.
What sets this band apart from other failed attempts at incredi-greatness is the chemistry each member shares with the other. Grohl and Homme teamed up in 2002 to make up half of the Queens line up while Jones sat in on a Foo Fighters album as well as a concert in London last year. The awkwardness of the first date is skipped and traded in for a glorious honeymoon.
"No One Loves Me and Neither Do I", starts out with a hop, skip and a jump on drums that rolls right into a funky stop and go riff. "I've got a wonderful place to put your face and she was right," Homme sings in his signature falsetto. He does his best white boy James Brown through much of the first half of this tune. However the meat and potatoes come in the second half which turns into an all out crunch fest with sliding guitars and thundering bass that makes head banging completely acceptable (even if it is a cliche).
TCV keep the groove machine going on "Gunman" with wah -wah pedal and syncopation aplenty. The song fits in right at home on the dance floor as well as blasting through your car stereo while you're going 90 down the freeway. Stoner rock never made you want to tap your toes so damn much.
"Elephants" that finds Homme playing one of his trickiest yet catchiest guitar hooks ever, and with a 90 second instrumental opening every member shows how comfortable they are in their new skin. Homme is obviously more than content in his new environment and can't help but boast about it as he sings "Like lumbering giants in a shameful parade we came to ruin all and make a rotten trade."
John Paul Jones is the unsung hero (if there can be such a thing with this band) on the album. While his bass playing is still just as sturdy and powerful as it always was, it's his subtle work on other instruments that really add a whole new dimension to this band beyond the traditional trio mix.
His keyboard solo on "Scumbag Blues" really gives the track more swagger and feeling. "Spinning in Daffodils", the album closer, opens with a lovely piano ballad before giving way to an uneasy guitar riff making the song all the more dirty yet appealing. "Interlude With the Ludes" even finds Jones playing the 80s-tastic keytar - I know right?
This album is not for light weights. It’s sink or swim as four songs clock in at over five minutes (two of which are more than seven) which can be quite exhaustive by the time the 63 minute running time fades to an end.
Balance is probably the bigger issue here for Them Crooked Vultures. While the first half of the album fits precisely into place with one good idea rolling into another, the middle is the most forgettable with less than stellar tunes "Bandoliers" and "Interludes with the Ludes" coming off as nothing more than filler material. However "Reptiles" and "Warsaw or the First Breath You Take Before Giving Up" offer enough ear candy to keep you around for a rewarding end.
The bottom line still remains. Even though they may not always hit their intended target, this band has injected more than enough excitement into a rather lack luster year for new music. Not only that, but they've also perfectly written The Idiot's Guide To Be In A Super Group and Not Be Named The Damned Yankees
Grade: B+
No comments:
Post a Comment