Them Crooked Vultures Offer Polished, Pure Rock
Self-titled debut showcases the best of each member, which is pretty awesome.
Them Crooked Vultures
Them Crooked Vultures
Released on Nov 17, 2009
The “supergroup” concept
is one fraught with various implications. How can that many egos work
together successfully? If they can work together, how can the world
handle that much talent in one outfit? When these groups succeed (i.e.
The Traveling Wilburys and The New Pornographers), fans speak about
them with almost rhapsodic reverence. And when they fail? They fail
on a whole new level. I don’t think any members of the recent supergroup
Tinted Windows will be holding their heads high anytime soon.
So, while it’s natural to
greet the news of a new supergroup formation with excitement, that anticipation
is most likely tempered with a bit of anxiety. Thankfully, in the case
of Them Crooked Vultures, there’s no need for concern. With a jaw-dropping
line-up that boasts Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age, Eagles of Death
Metal), Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters, Nirvana), and John Paul Jones (Led
Zepplin), TCV has landed on the successful end of the supergroup spectrum.
Experiment isn’t the best
word to use for their self-titled debut—while their sound might be
visceral and gritty, it doesn’t fall into the recent revival of garage
rock. It’s more polished than that, and each member showcases a mastery
of their particular instrument. For lack of a better description, this
is the music that bands like Kings of Leon have been trying really hard
to make for the past few years, but have failed to.
Homme was made to be a front
man—his voice can take on a variety of tones as a result of his admirable
vocal range. His falsetto—on display in “New Fang” and several
other tracks—makes him sound like a glam rocker, which is an interesting
counterpoint to the dominating “blue collar rock” sound of the album.
The years of experience that
each member has had certainly come through in their musical execution,
but it’s more obvious in each musician’s ability to take command
of longer songs. Lengthier tracks like “Elephants,” “Warsaw Or
The First Breath You Take After You Give Up,” and “Spinning in Daffodils”
tell great stories, both musically and lyrically.
However, like any good rock
band, they also show mastery of the shorter song. “Gunman” is the
best example of this—this song defines driving percussion and guitar
parts. It’s impossible to only listen to once, and it manages to be
both catchy and intriguing, which is a feat in and of itself.
TCV received their fair share of hype before actually releasing an album, but for once, the buildup seems to be warranted. Their sound is tight without being too refined, and it’s impossible to pick out a weak track. They already show great potential for musical growth as well—listen to “Caligulove” (best song title ever, by the way) from 3:31 to 4:09, and the last few seconds of the track. Methinks that’s a peek of what’s to come, and I’m already prepared to hype up their next album based on that.
High Point
Their ability to show that a raw sound doesn’t have to come from shitty production quality.
Low Point
If you’re not a fan of rock by any definition, these Vultures are not necessarily for you. But really, you should give them a try anyway.
Posted by Alyssa Vincent on Nov 17, 2009 @ 6:00 am
