Side projects and solo projects. They’re a strange entity sometimes, aren’t they?? Sometimes, the side/solo project records and the main band records are so similar, you wonder why the project needed to exist at all. For example, would Thom Yorkes “Eraser” record really sound out of place as a Radiohead record? Other times, side projects and main bands sound SO different, you know EXACTLY why both needed to exist.
The Dead Weather fall into the latter category. Whilst it may be unfair to call The Dead Weather a side project (the life spans of The White Stripes and The Dead Weather only overlapped by 2 years), the Jack White factor means the two will forever be linked. One listen to the new Dead Weather record, “Dodge And Burn,” and you can understand exactly why they NEED to exist; under no circumstances would a White Stripes record ever have sounded this heavy. For all her unique qualities, Meg White would never have been able to sound like Alison Mosshart on this, or indeed any other, Dead Weather record. Upgrading from a 2-piece to a 4-piece undoubtedly beefs up the sound further. Clearly, Jack had a heavy-garage-rock itch to scratch, and scratch it he most certainly has.
It’s been 5 years since the last Dead Weather offering, 2010’s “Sea Of Cowards”, and on first listen, it sounds like a lot of pent-up energy is being released. On the opening track and lead single, I Feel Love (Every Million Miles), a thrashing riff and snarling bass line give way to a chorus that you can already imagine being screamed at full volume by sold-out crowds around the world (a shame, as Dead Weather apparently don’t plan on touring this record much…). On Three Dollar Hat, the song begins in an almost spooky loungey White Stripes-esque manner, led by Jack himself, for about the first minute, until it explodes in a wave of Icky Thump distortion and morphs into a fast-paced garage punk anthem sung by Alison. Lose The Right and Open Up make use of a substantially distorted Wurlitzer, surely a nod to The Raconteurs (yet another of Jack White’s side projects), while Be Still showcases a back-and-forth vocal face-off between Jack and Alison that sounds almost like a duel, such is its ferocity. Mile Markers features the kind of frantic pounding snare drum usually reserved for drum solo’s, an unmistakably ‘Jack’ guitar solo, and a vocal arrangement by Alison somewhat reminiscent of “It’s Tricky”; yes, I mean the Run DMC song. Certainly, plenty on this record to keep the listener interested from start to finish, and over repeated listens. It never gets the opportunity to even approach stagnation.
All in all, a fantastic return for The Dead Weather, and a record that was definitely worth the wait. Here’s hoping its not another 5 years until the next one!
Simon Williams
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