Review: Dead Weather - Sea Of Cowards

Jack White can do anything. Literally. He can eat his own face off if he wanted to - just ask him. He could even subdue a polar bear with his bear hands while eating a BBQ sandwich. Oh and don't forget about building grinding blues suites better than anyone this side of his Detroit home - but that's on guitar.

While The White Stripes and The Raconteurs both function as a means for White to blend Americana and delta boogie into a mix of retro outfitted coolness, The Dead Weather finds White playing stickman, along with Alison Moss of The Kills, Dean Ferita of Queens of the Stone Age and Jack Lawrence of The Raconteurs, in his heaviest, most gothic band yet.

Sea Of Cowards is the band's second effort and doesn't deviate from the their first record (last year's Horehound). Each song hammers you with choppy riffs, drowning bass and phoned in vocals about how mad Miss Moss is and how we should all be vigilant for her vengeance.

While there is a groove to be had throughout much of the record, it's vapid of any other substance. For a project that features Jack White, The Dead Weather are surprisingly dull and forgettable. Every track parades by at the same trudging pace, and while the riffs concocted by Ferita are head-bangingly nifty, they are pieces that can easily be flip flopped into another track about doomsday prophecy.

Everything about this band is on the surface. It's all about being dark and mysterious on purpose without a purpose. Just picture a Lady Gaga who can play guitar and actually give a shit who Robert Johnson is. Just look at the album cover. It makes no sense but is supposed to mean something even though it doesn't.

The White Stripes are guilty of the same crime yet get away with it because their songs are actually memorable. "Ball & Biscuit" is bluesy and fun. The Dead Weather are bluesy because they need an excuse to wear leather and gazelle antlers. Continue waiting for Meg White to come back.

Grade: C

Key Tacks: "Gasoline", "Old Mary", "Blue Blood Blues"