The words "drummer/frontman" bring bad images to mind: Tommy Lee's new album. Cheesy headset microphones. Phil Collins.
But the Foo Fighters' Taylor Hawkins has successfully avoided the pitfalls that await a drummer-turned-singer on his new album Taylor Hawkins & The Coattail Riders. Instead of becoming another reason why drummers should stick to rhythm, Hawkins proves he's ready to join the illustrious ranks of good drummer/singers, such as the Eagles' Don Henley and the Band's Levon Helm.
Not bad for a debut solo album. But Hawkins has been able to learn from a master — Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl. As most everyone knows by now, Grohl started the Foo Fighters as a singer/guitarist but only after he was the drummer for '90s rock phenomenon Nirvana.
Just as Grohl played almost all the instruments on The Foos' self-titled debut disc, Hawkins began his side project by recording drum, guitar and vocal tracks at friend and engineer/producer Drew Hester's house. But whereas Grohl decided to rock from both behind and in front of the drum kit, Hawkins hasn't set down the sticks, bringing in Hester's housemate Gannin on guitar and Chris Chaney of Jane's Addiction on bass.
The resulting album draws on a wide array of influences with a chameleon-like ability that suits the musically diverse Hawkins. Part classic rock, part offbeat post-punk, The Coattail Riders combines all three players' remarkable musical skills with good, old-fashioned rock 'n' roll sensibility.
Hawkins plays with a fearless musical audacity that keeps it all fresh. The album's catchy opening track, "Louise," sums up what's to follow with a careening sequence of rhythmic and stylistic changes. The verse alternates a speedy Latin shuffle with slower rock sections before jumping into a punky chorus that's catchy enough for radio.
The galloping rhythms, propelled by Chambers' nimble bass lines, prove there can be such a thing as a progressive homage to classic rock.
The end of "Louise" segues beautifully into the hard-rocking "Walking Away." The song's moody, anemic melodies sound like they could have been lifted from an early Queens Of The Stone Age recording session, but the bright-eyed chorus gives the song a certain flavor of its own. Hawkins' vocals channel frontman Josh Homme almost too perfectly, which may or may not be a coincidence, considering Homme and Grohl recently began collaborating on side-project band Eagles of Death Metal.
Hawkins' vocals are often heavily processed, and it doesn't always sound like he's found his own voice. On "Get Up I Want To Get Down," he sounds exactly like a hard-rocking version of Don Henley, but the song lacks the original touch of other songs on the album.
"Better You Than Me" possesses a certain atmospheric charm that is slightly diminished once you realize the refrain sounds eerily similar to '80s-era Pink Floyd. Hawkins often treads the line between evoking his influences and copying them.
Luckily, his songwriting ability redeems Hawkins for moments like the Don Henley knock-off. Songs like the bittersweet acoustic ballad "Pitiful" defy expectations musically and lyrically. Hawkins cries to his mother to save him over dissonant guitar chords in this unexplainably catchy lament.
Hawkins even dabbles in country with the quiet bop of "Wasted Energy," drawing on the traditional genre for inspiration while keeping an edgy moodiness reminiscent of Beck's folksy grim humor on Mutations. Gannin even throws a little jazz into the tune with some well-placed guitar licks near the end. He whips out another unexpected solo on "It's OK Now" as well, adding a wailing slide guitar section to the low-key rocker.
But Hawkins remains the driving force, making the frequent rhythm changes seem effortlessly natural on tracks like "Running In Place." Even on the straight-up rock sections, he plays fills with the ferocity of Keith Moon, propelling the entire band.
We'd expect nothing less from the guy who keeps the beat for a band like the Foo Fighters. But Hawkins exceeds all expectations on his catchy but innovative side-project, which shows off all aspects of his musical talent. At least it's better than Phil Collins.
Rating: 4 out of 5
