Anthemically sifting through the speakers, The Dead Weather pours a pleasing dose of fuzz groove throughout their debut album, Horehound. Deviating from what he’s best known for, Jack White steps away from his axe and enthrones himself at the drum set, allowing Allison Mosshart of The Kills to take most of center stage.?
With the inclusion of Raconteurs bassist, Jack Lawrence, and Queens of the Stone Age guitarist-organist, Dean Fertita, The Dead Weather evokes an awesome dirt-infused style of rock. With the help of their leather jackets and white costumes, this band epitomizes cool.?
Where Meg White’s drumming adds simple splashes of character to The White Stripes, Jack’s drumming offers power, groove and break beats DJs strive to create. Most impressive, however, is White’s performance in “Hang You From the Heavens,” where he fills in the rhythmic holes of the song with his skillful drumming.
For fans in search of guitar tones and licks typical of Jack White — fear not. Fertita’s shreds throughout the album as if inspired by White during the three-week recording session.?Fertita’s ferocious sound plays off of and mixes with Jack Lawrence’s fuzz bass to form a growling synergy.? On the opening track, “60 Feet Tall,” Fertita’s digitally delayed guitar lick playfully dances off of White’s reverberating snare and cymbal work. Mosshart’s confidently seductive vocals swoon and compliment the rise and fall of White and Lawrence’s groove while nicely pointing to Ferita’s eventual volcanic guitar soloing.?
On the track “New Pony,” White’s shows off his tightly organized trip-hop/funk explorations. Mosshart growls into a reverb-charged microphone, balancing Lawrence’s grooving sub-fuzz bass. Fertita’s guitar work evokes epic riffs and solos that might make Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys a bit jealous.??
The organ-infused “So Far from Your Weapon” stands alone as one of the more melodic and relaxed tracks. The three male members back Mosshart’s singing to create a unique and unusual aural experience for such a thick and heavy trodden album.?
Closing their album, The Dead Weather offers acoustic guitars, detuned pianos and an old school production in a track known as “Will There Be Enough Water?” Jack’s voice comes through from behind, as he and Mosshart sing this one together.
This album is gut-punching with its raw, seductive and hauntingly soaked energy. ?The band’s choice of words, specifically in the third track, “I Cut Like a Buffalo,” beg listeners to question what Jack White is singing about. And although Mosshart could be yelling in gibberish over the abundance of fuzz and cymbal work, she comes through with some strong lyrics, such as “You got the kind of loving / I need constantly / I can take the trouble / Cus’ I’m 60 feet / Tall.”?
3 1/2 out of 5 stars.