Wednesday, September 23, 2009

The Dead Weather - Horehound

Rating: B

I had a high school history teacher who once asked a student in my class to read the definition of concupiscence aloud. "Lust, sexual desire," the student read, rather uncomfortably. "LUST ... SEXUAL DESIRE!" the teacher screamed, jumping in the air, clenching his fists, turning slighly red. It was a more than a little creepy.

That teacher might be proud to know that thanks to his theatrics, I still remember the definition of concupiscence to this day (though, in full disclosure, I did have to look up the spelling). He might also enjoy Horehound, the debut album for The Dead Weather.

Every review of The Dead Weather notes its kind-of-not-really super group status. White Striper Jack White's drumming here, and you might know some of the bands some of the other people are in.

That's not important, not really. What's important is the concupiscence. The lust! - the sexual desire! This album wants to bang you, nail you, rail you. It's going to hurt and you're going to feel dirty, but you're going to like it. "Hang You By the Heavens" follows the line "I want to grab you by the hair" with a second of pregnant, delicious silence until singer Allison Mosshart finishes the line (dragging you to heaven or hell) and the drums and raunchy guitar line kick back in. Her voice and attitude conjure up the kind of raw, crazy sexual beast that Megan Fox is trying so desperately to convince people she is.

Random notes and opinions:
  • Jack's drumming on "New Pony" and the chorus to "So Far From Your Weapon" sounds like Meg's.
  • Album-closer "Will There Be Enough Water?" is the only really blues song on the album.
  • Why is Jack White and not Mosshart singing "I look like a woman" on the somewhat inane "I Cut Like a Buffalo?"
  • It's interesting that they laid down the instrumental track "3 Birds," but honestly I'm probably going to skip it most of the time it comes on.
The lead-off track, "60 Feet Tall," opens with Mosshart quietly emoting, "You're so cruel and shameless / But I can't leave you be." There probably isn't a better way to sum this up.

Buy it from Amazon (MP3 Format)
The Dead Weather Official Website

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