‘Horehound’, the debut from The Dead Weather is a super-group of sorts, bringing together Jack White, Jack Lawrence of The Greenhornes and Queens of the Stone Age guitarist, Dean Ferita. But for the most part it’s not White taking centre-stage. Instead he leaves that to indie-princess and Kills vocalist Alison Mosshart, who easily handles the position of frontwoman. She has a perfect voice for a band like this and unlike some of The Kills material which can become tiresome, Mosshart continues to impress throughout the record. “You’ve got the kind of loving I need constantly” she murmurs on ‘60 Feet Tall’ before admitting on the follow-up track that “I never know how to treat you/you say I love you but it ain’t true.
Elsewhere, White sings on two tracks. The terrific White-penned track, ‘I Cut Like A Buffalo’ and the drifting, slow-burner ‘Will There Be Enough Water’ that closes the album. His position behind the drums works perfectly since he manages to compliment the other members rather than simply overshadowing them. White’s first instrument he learnt to play was the drums and on the record he successfully establishes his craft. Whether it’s the restrained pulsing of ‘Hang You From The Heavens’ opening bars or the intensity of ‘New Pony’, a Bob Dylan cover from 1978’s Street Legal. Recently while playing live, the band has also been playing a cover of ‘Forever My Queen’ by heavy metal band Pentagram.
The new video for ‘Treat Me Like Your Mother’ sees White and Mosshart mirror an old fashioned western stand off. The difference here is that they are both clad in black leather while taking shots at each other, Terminator style. It’s more of a testament to the chemistry between the two that you hear on record rather than anything else. Jonathan Glazer, who directed the video, has also directed music videos such as Radiohead’s ‘Karma Police’, UNKLE ft. Thom Yorke’s ‘Rabbit In Your Headlights’ and Massive Attack’s ‘Karmacoma’.
Bonus points for the closing shot.
