A mix of musicians from several bands gives the Dead Weather depth.
CD REVIEW
Do the bands The White Stripes, The Kills, The Raconteurs or Queens of the Stone Age interest you?
If they do — or even if they don't – you should be aware of a new band called The Dead Weather. This new band consists of Jack White, Allison Mosshart, Jack Lawrence and Dean Fertita.
White, a former member of The White Stripes of "Seven Nation Army" fame, is surprisingly not playing guitar. Mosshart, who provides the lead vocals, is from the band The Kills, famous for the song "Cheap And Cheerful." The Kills are a blend of techno punk and rock. Lawrence, who plays bass, also was in White's earlier band, The Raconteurs. They are famous for the song "Steady As She Goes." Fertita was originally from Queens of the Stone Age. Their big hit was "No One Knows."
Everyone familiar with White knows he is a master guitar player. What most people don't know is that he actually played the drums in high school. With The Dead Weather, he is going back to his original music roots.
The Dead Weather's release, "Horebound," has all the makings of a fantastic rock and roll album. It has fast and upbeat songs, like "Treat Me Like Your Mother," that blend into and flow with some slow songs, like "Will There Be Enough Water?"
The album really has a different feel — it is hard rocking and soulful with a bit of funk and punk mixed in. The guitar work is unlike anything you will hear on albums of today.
There is a unique sound with the vocals thanks to the very distinctive voices of Mosshart and White. The songs in which they sing together are amazing. It is sort of like a vocal battle between White and Mosshart. During "Treat Me Like Your Mother" Mosshart sings for most of the song, but White's role is really cool because they sound so different but fit together nicely. Also, White's drum work is fantastic. His skills show how musically adept he is and what a versatile musician he is.
This album made me see how great a supergroup can be. This is one supergroup that is not to be overlooked. All the musicians really gel together and have a very unique sound.
One problem with the album is all the fast songs start to get repetitive after a listen or three. The thing that makes them different and is the saving grace is the very different guitar play.
There were two songs released on iTunes before the official release of the album. "Are Friends Electric" was not on the album and this song was really good. I was a little upset about that because this was one of the group's slower songs, and it was unique compared to some of the other songs on the album.
The song "3 Birds," an all-instrumental song, was good the first time you heard it, but after a couple of listens it gets kind of old and you realize you miss Mosshart's vocals or at least someone singing. "3 Birds" is just an unnecessary song that really should not have been on the album.
This album is definitely for fans of The White Stripes or The Kills. If you do not like either of those bands, then this is not your kind of album. This album is a tad repetitive, but its unique sound will please all of those who are looking for a good new band. If you would like to find tour dates or any other information on The Dead Weather, check out www.thedeadweather.com.