Title: Horehound
Artist: The Dead Weather
Genre: Blues / Rock
Release Date: 10th July 2009
Label: Columbia (Sony Music)
Album Review
One day, Jack White, singer, songwriter and guitarist of THE WHITE STRIPES and member in various other bands had an idea to form an Alternative Rock super group. Once, that idea had taken shape in his mind, he started collecting members and found them with Alison Mosshart (THE KILLS), band colleague Jack Lawrence (THE RACONTEURS), and Dean Fertita (QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE) himself taking the part as drummer and second vocalist besides Mosshart. As name for the band THE DEAD WEATHER was chosen, who’re now debuting with the album ‘Horehound’ and this is how it sounds…
Whimsical, wicked, and absolutely out of time; that’s exactly what I thought after I listened to the opener ’60 Feet Tall’. The quirky guitar sound at the beginning and the overall dirty production make it seem like a piece, recorded in the 70s, actually the whole album is produced like this, and Mosshart on vocal is a brilliant fit to that style with her bolshie way of spitting the lyrics into the microphone. On the follow-up track ‘Hang you from the Heavens’, the guitars are buzzing like an overdriven amplifier which I find sounds extremely cool and the in parts polyrhythmic drum section adds something for the fetishists of a more intricate sound. With ‘I Cut like a Buffalo’, another instrument takes centre stage; the organ, building the melodies around which a cocktail of down-tempo drums, polyphonic vocals by White and Mosshart as well as occasionally guitar screams flows. They really do sound like suffocated screams and I’m not quite sure yet if that’s just weird or a brilliant sound trick. Well, let’s go on with some stuff and that is ‘Treat Me like Your Mother’ replacing the organ with the distorted bass as core element. A track that could’ve been perfect with a cool break and solo if it weren’t for those unnerving rap parts!
The accomplished instrumental works of all protagonists and technical gadgetry make ‘Horehound’ a feast to listen to, though I think it’s a love-hate release with nothing much in-between. Either you’ll like that freaky approach or not. But you should definitely listen to it first before making your decision.
Tracklist
01. 60 Feet Tall – 5:33
02. Hang You From The Heavens – 3:36
03. I Cut Like A Buffalo – 3:27
04. So Far From Your Weapon – 3:40
05. Treat Me Like Your Mother – 4:10
06. Rocking Horse – 2:59
07. New Pony – 3:56
08. Bone House – 3:26
09. 3 Birds – 3:44
10. No Hassle Night – 2:51
11. Will There Be Enough Water – 6:20
Line-up
Jack White
Alison Mosshart
Dean Fertita
Jack Lawrence
Website
http://www.thedeadweather.com/ / http://www.myspace.com/thedeadweatherfans
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 7
Sound: 9
Extras: -
Total: 8 / 10
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