The Dead Weather Rocks the Blues with Mixed Results

It might be safe to say that Jack White has music ADHD. The White Stripes and Raconteurs leader is not content with being in just one band, or two for that matter. But the upside to that is that listeners get to hear many facets of his talent. With The Dead Weather, White returns to his first instrument, the drums. Taking more of a back seat like this gives his band members, Alison Mosshart from The Kills, Jack Lawrence from The Raconteurs and Dean Fertita from Queens Of The Stone Age, more of a spotlight and it shows on the band's debut album, Horehound.

"60 Feet Tall" begins like a rehearsal warm-up, a rolling drum beat from White and disjointed guitar licks from Fertita. But the song soon morphs into a slow burning, Zeppelin-like bluesy groove with Mosshart's sultry but earthy vocals invoking Patti Smith. Unfortunately, the percussion is cymbal-heavy and that bleeds all over the track in certain sections.

One of two songs released as a vinyl .45 on Record Store Day, "Hang You From The Heavens" takes much of the electro-blues of The Kills with it's geometric and intricate drumming. Fertita's guitar lays thick slabs of fuzz.

Whether it was intentional or not, "I Cut Like A Buffalo" has a lot of reggae flavor. This has most to do with the prominent electric organ, played by Fertita, and the regular echo flurries. White sings lead here and it sounds filtered through a megaphone.

"So Far From Your Weapon" begins with a similar intro to "60 Feet Tall" but with call-and-response vocals, reminiscent of classic blues. Again, the drumming is cymbal-heavy. Oddly enough, the defining element of this song is a weird warble from an indistinguishable instrument lurking in the background.

"Treat Me Like Your Mother" is aggressive from the outset with driving drums and crunchy fuzz guitar riffing. The tempo increases towards rollicking rollercoaster standards halfway through the song with pummeling drums and fast slide guitar lines. Mosshart and White trade lead vocals. You could even call White's vocals in this song rap.

"Will There Be Enough Water" is a departure from the overall sound of the album. White's only guitar contribution, it takes much from early John Lee Hooker, specifically minor key elegies like "It Serves Me Right To Suffer." The heartbeat drumming and nearly inaudible piano in the background help to create a true blues emotion.

While Horehound is bookended perfectly, nearly half the album is unremarkable, a mess of odd rhythms that are abrasive rather than interesting. However, the majority, even if it is a small one, does save the album and makes it worth listening to and owning. Once again, Jack White has found a new way to interpret the blues while staying faithful to traditions. But when all is said and done, Mosshart's contributions are what make this album unique.

Wilco (the band) Delivers the Best of Both Worlds on Wilco (the album)

Wilco, the Chicago-based alt. country standard bearer, has released a new album, self-titled after a fashion, that combines the best of it's musical formulas. Because of this, listeners get to enjoy the band's best album since Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

"Wilco (the song)" has relaxing yet meaty guitar strumming for it's main beat. Percussion thuds behind this, anchoring the song. Frontman Jeff Tweedy's lyrics continue to be interesting and unique. Though slightly tongue-in-cheek, it's an ode to the fans and what it's like to be in a band like Wilco.

"Deeper Down," a lower-key acoustic-based song with some repetitive strumming, exhibits some of the only "country" left in the band's alt. country sound. Steel guitar provides atmospheric texture to contrast with the organic acoustic strumming.

The somewhat-skeletal "One Wing," driven by intricate drumming from Glenn Kotche, hearkens back to the band's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot days. Tweedy's voice sounds much more earnest in front of the half-naked instrumentation. The reverb-heavy guitar playing brings to mind images of driving at night in the middle of nowhere.

"Bull Black Nova" is the first of a couple Beatles-esque songs. Upbeat guitar playing with natural-sounding distortion meets electric organ in what could be described as a slower "Hey Bulldog" in certain sections.

"You And I" is a duet with Canadian indie-folkster Feist. Unfortunately, the song doesn't really amount to much. The gentle acoustic instrumentation and soft vocals aren't very memorable.

"You Never Know" channels George Harrison perfectly. The lead guitar has that Ganges River Delta meets Mississippi River Delta slide technique that was Harrison's signature. The acoustic rhythm guitar and the tip-toeing piano complete this. The song feels more like a tribute than parody, which makes the similarities enjoyable.

"Solitaire" could be a continuation of "One Wing." They share the same sleepy, country-tinged philosophy. But in this song violin is featured and the rhythm mimics a horse on the trail that's in no hurry to get anywhere.

"I'll Fight" has a lot in common with early Elvis Costello. The only difference is it's largely acoustic arrangement. The rhythm is simple and geometric in the best way possible.

"Sonny Feeling" is about a bluesy as Wilco gets, thanks to prominent Delta slide licks. Tweedy's vocals, not generally thought of as such, are as gritty soul as he can make them and the upbeat rhythm suggests dancing. Still, it's safe to say Wilco probably won't make a full-on blues album.

Wilco (The Album) can be thought of musically as a combination of both the lower-key A Ghost Is Born and the upbeat Sky Blue Sky. This happy medium finds the band and the music more cohesive, confident and just plain fun to listen to without sacrificing the complexity of Tweedy's songwriting.