The Dead Weather: Horehound (2009)

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Now playing on Amarok: The Dead Weather – Will There Be Enough Water?

I  have much admiration for Jack White of the White Stripes.  I would call myself a fan of the man and not necessarily that band.  His Jimmy Page like flourishes on the guitar  a given, the guy can rock.

But I have been interested in White’s side projects more that The White Stripes.  The Raconteurs are a rollicking rock and roll blues band that never fail to earn a notch or two of more volume when they come on an ipod mix.  The band is fun, loud, heavy in bass, and will surprise one with a turn or two in the songwriting.

And now here comes The Dead Weather.  Born from the recent Kills/Raconteurs tour where the Kills vocalist Alison Mosshart filled in for an ailing White on lead vocals on some live performances, The Dead Weather  consist of the powerful lead singer of the Kills Alison Mosshart, White, Rac’ band-mate Jack Lawrence, and Dean Fertita from the impeccable Queens of the Stone Age.  That line-up alone is enough for me to place a finger over the ^Up Volume^ button.

The Dead Weather’s first album (and I hope not the last) is entitled Horehound.  And oh my lawd Zeus.  My first impression on the first two songs is that THIS is what would have happened if 60s era Grace Slick (Jefferson Airplane) would have been the front woman for Led Zeppelin.

Horehound is electric, loud, nasty, funky, and excellent.  White steps back behind Mosshart and lends his full focus on slam-bang rhythmic drums while anyone familiar with QOTSA will recognize Fertita’s hazy riffs and funk infused rock sound.  Mosshart has most of the vocal duties on the album, but White growls out in his one lone solo songwriting credit I Cut Like A Buffalo and trades snarls with Mosshart in the tense and banging Treat Me Like Your Mother. Mosshart and Fertita shoulder most of the song writing and in the songs Mosshart extends her persona past her the Kills efforts and into the realm of  supercharged rock and roll bitch of the best kind – like if PJ Harvey was as interested in rockin’ the house as rockin’ one’s comfort zone.

A highlight for me is a cover of Dylan’s New Pony which changes the texture of the song to a dirty and snarling jam with big round guitar riffs and manic drums.

But there are many highlights on the album.  Hang You from the Heavens and Treat Me Like Your Mother included. The whole album is a keeper with only a couple of songs that might count as filler – but even those sub-par efforts are fun.

Give Horehound a ride on your drive or on headphones.  You’ll have a blast.

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