twgeek

The self-titled debut from the supergroup Them Crooked Vultures sounds quite familiar, but refreshingly new. For the uninitiated, TCV is Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters) on drums, Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age, Kyuss, Eagles of Death Metal) on guitar and lead vocals, and John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) on bass and keys. This is the dream super group for kids who grew up listening to Zeppelin and then, as teenagers, migrated to the hard alt rock of the early 90s.

“No One Loves Me & Neither Do I” starts off the album sounding like Queens of the Stone Age with better bass and drums, but it quickly evolves into a blending of the best stylizations of the members’ previous groups. That description may prompt some worries about self-indulgent excess, but the experiment really does work. Unlike many other super groups from the past decade (Audioslave and Velvet Revolver immediately come to mind), TCV seem to have taken the approach of writing the music together in the same space. The signature sounds are there from each individual, but the songs never sound like a mash-up; it is obvious that there was a great deal of give and take during the writing process. Because of how well the music works, it is easy to be in total awe of the brilliant musicianship displayed throughout the album. 

There is not a dud on “Them Crooked Vultures”, but there are three highlights, (interestingly enough the fifth, sixth, and seventh songs) starting with “Elephants”. This track clocks in at almost seven minutes, but does not meander aimlessly. It begins as a raucous blues instrumental that settles into a slack blues rhythm during the verses, only to find its way back to a straight 4/4 tempo during the choruses. The lyrics are intensely personal, depicting a dysfunctional relationship between two people with huge personalities that explode when they are together. It is a grinder of a song, the best representation of Homme’s stoner rock on the album.

“Scumbag Blues” sounds like the spawn of Cream, perfectly evoking Jack Bruce’s falsetto and thumping bass, Ginger Baker’s jazz-influenced drumming, and Eric Clapton’s wailing guitars. “Scumbag Blues” is no mere imitation, though; instead, it is a well-placed tribute to the original rock super group. It is the work of three musicians at their finest, and if it doesn’t make you want to get up and dance, you must be dead.

My favorite song on the album is “Bandoliers”, a classic rock breakup song featuring a long instrumental break near the end. With lyrics again focusing on a fiery and intense relationship, the song is built around a distinctly Eastern European folk-influenced sound. Jones’ keys and Homme’s guitar play off each other while Grohl pounds out a staccato rhythm. “Bandoliers” is unrelenting lyrically and musically and best represents the overall theme of “Them Crooked Vultures”: brilliant musicians playing incredibly well-written music at volume 11.