Whoa! This feels weird. Albums and Alcohol was something I conceived while living in Minneapolis in order to connect with a bustling music scene all around me; and now, as I sit back in small town Iowa, not 30 minutes from where I grew up, I have revived it as a way to keep a connection to music while being in an area without any significant scene to speak of.
I have my reasons for being where I'm at, and although I've found none of them to be distinctly significant, they combined to lead to this exact situation. That is, however, all I will dwell on me. Suffice to say, I've been anxious to do my finger-tapping, beer-swilling, ear-pleasing triple tasking for a LONG time, and I'm not what is important. What
is important is the fact that the band that put out what is definitely in my top 5 albums (
Horehound) is back with new music!
Looks like something distracted Jack White at the last moment.
The Dead Weather is a force. The jam/grunge/blues/industrial sound is like a sculpture made of rusty nails and broken glass; it has beauty in constructive chaos that is amazing, yet you can't put your finger on what makes it
so amazing (The Dead Weather because there is too much amazing, and the sculpture because
tetanus).
I have such faith in this band that I pre-ordered the vinyl, and will be rocking it for the review. The stakes are high on this one, and I'm calling in Sierra Nevada's Hop Hunter to get me in a slur-type sort of mood. This is an amazing beer for those of you who love hops. It's made with distilled hop oil and has the attitude of a cat (It'll rough you up only cuddle and purr); seriously, try this beer!
Ahh! There's what distracted him!
And seriously, I type too much in these intros, so as I haven't typed in far too long, on to the review!
Album:
The Dead Weather - Dodge and Burn
Alcohol:
Sierra Nevada Hop Hunter
Now, I cheated a little and listened to the opening track when they released the video, but that doesn't make the blaring guitar opening any less effective, and the snare lead to the groovy riff is nice. Dropping out the vocals. Little tags surround Alison Mosshart's beautiful voice. This song is definitely destined to be a single in terms of The Dead Weather. Certainly more accessible than most of their stuff. The slow down coming out of the second chorus is just sloppy awesomeness. The layered vocals that have become a trademark of TDW is endlessly awesome. The feels like a slight edge missing from Alison's voice, but I will forgive in in the presence of a song with "Love" in the title.
Buzzkill(er) comes in VERY groovy before coming into a riff very befitting of the title. The vocals here hover between a 50's jazz singer, and edgy indy. The rhythm section may be one of the best things--ohmygod, that stop was cooL! Very groovy through out. Cool tune.
Snare brings us into "Let Me Through". Farty bass drives in the verse. And there is a distict bounce. Drop to a single note on the party bass... And bring it back in. Adding in some party guitar now. I love the pretty ugly tones. Drop to cymbal and voice. Tension. And here comes all the fartiness. I want to point out that fattiness here is a VERY good thing. And that high crunch on the guitar! God the bounce just keeps going even on the drop outs... Holy shit! Kick in! Love it! And I LOVE her voice. Cool. drop off ending
That brings us to a slow lead in on "Three Dollar Hat". Jack white opens the vocals on this subtle grooving track with a high-but-gritty guitar/synth something. Really cool... And holly shit... Kick in like hell! The drums are cookin'! Holy shit! That was cool. And drop back to the groovin' bass. And Jack White's fast talking about Jackie Lee again. and is this the end? I hear...
"Lose the Right" apparently is what I hear now, and it comes in with a slow jam. There is that signature guitar/synthy organ sound. Alison is taking an almost conventional vocal approach.. There are definitely flashes of aggression, but she can sound oh so pretty when she wants to. This band has such crazy dynamics. And can take a slow grooving song and push it to an aggressive limit that makes you feel more worn out than a speed punk track. That's exactly what they do here.
Feeling like the mood is coming down a little, until it's not. It was a very short release that in now building. Alison and Jack tag teaming vocals, and we are band into a nice grooving-yet-driving tune. "Rough Detective" has some nice lyric and music interplay and some fun back and forth with instruments. It will forever make me smile how much they can do with a simple riff. It's a testament to the creativity of the band. And a sort of fall out brings us to the end of side one. And since there is a natural break. I will take a moment for my self. This Hop Hunter has filled my bladder...
Holy shit! A scream and hard hitting riff to open side B and shit. Drops out... If they wanted to make sure you were still with them, they achieved it. And this is so... Tensions. A low build and into fast but low key... This reads like an indy punk tune. And I'm good with that... There is a neat little sound in the verse... Drop down. These subtle changes are too fast for my fingers to keep up with... I will say now, this is my favorite track... Shit it's so cool! I don't even know the tile./. Open up" okay. She is NOT saying Puppy love... It's open up... I thought I was just drunk...
into the quiet openings of "Be Still". Vocal interplay with pfary bass tones. And it picks up with more groove. A back and forth of "Be Stills" and... PUNCH! back in and god... They do so much with so little. It's like being feed the same meal over and over but prepared buy a different master chef each time bringing new twist on it... That is every somng by tTDW
Cool riffs open "Mile Markers"! Almost rapping Mosshart is sexy and awesome! Again, the tones awesome... The chorus is badassily cute. And that is a thing that I just had to make up for TDW. Because thats what they do. It's not enough that they create brand new amazing sounds, they have to force listeners to create new concepts to accept and describe the beauty. And that little solo... so weird and awesome. Lyrical disregad of rhythm... Cool. And ending is, like, faux cheesy... And cool.
"Cop and Go" opens with interesting guitar.. and now an alarm sound... That carries on as the interesting comes buyck in. This is reading like a twistedly awesome version of a 80s tune... Maybe that is the booze talking--no she definitely just said Danger Zone... I've decided this is TDW's take on the 80s, and... We missed out... And by we, I mean those of you born before me (Feb 1990). Build... Love her vice building oh my god! Came. Awesome into a riff that just keeps going. and oh yeah... Wait... alarm nice... Creating tension... and I'm wanting...
Nice bring in of "Too Bad". Love the riff.. The weird noises... And we are back to straight forward groove... With an imitation theremen(Sp.?) noise. And this is VERY groovy... I love the guitar... It walks the line between almost corny and too badass to handle... I'm not blown away buy this track,b ut the noises are nice... it's a rotary sound or may high freqency tremolo? I dunno... it's fun. She's going back to bed, and I'm gonna follow.
Weird cross of, like, Adele and TDW happening on the closing track..> Like it is really what would happen if Adele... Whoa... Jazzy... This is cool. IT wants to be a pop song, but the tones and production are like scratching at the edges making is this beautiful grunge jazz pop... "Drag My Body through the sand" that's interesting... Because if you took a pop song and sand papered it down to its bones and re built it out of vinyl... You would get "The Impossible Winner". Beautiful inspite of spitting on conventional beauty. I love it.
Final Thoughts:
Just as I was feeling Side 1 was good, but not great, side two served at me and made me realize that the full albium of
Dodge and Burn is incredible... Favorite track is Open up(not Puppy Love), but I will say there is not a bad tune on this record... Get the vinyl.. The crackles are so much better than silence between songs... And really. Vinyl is better and it comes with a digital coppy... All music should be sold as vinyl with digital download... Because fuck CDs... And tapes... And Not vinyl inclusive digital cpies. I've gotten off track... By Doge and brn. I love it, and so should you!
Like what you've read? Then "Like" the blog for "real" on Facebook! Want to tell me how shitty my review was (it wasn't)? Pollute my Twitter! In a band with an album on the horizon, or know of an album you think I'd like/hate? Let's chat!
