Find us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter

Opinion

To the Editor:

Poetry & Art

Classified Ads

Back Issues

Blogs

Those Smooth Vultures (CD review)

The Commuter

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

By Mark Paul McIntyre
The Commuter

Too bad I didn’t have money two weeks ago. A band came to the Portland area that would have been fun to see.

With Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters, Nirvana) on the drums, and lead vocalist and guitarist Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), Them Crooked Vultures definitely have flavor. That alone draws me to try out the music. But, once I read that their bassist and keyboardist was none other than John
Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin fame, I knew I had nothing to fear.

The overall flow of the group’s self-titled debut album is amazing. If
you buy the album on iTunes, it opens with “No One Loves Me & Neither Do
I,” which may remind you of a jam song. But, it’s the next few songs that set the album on fire. “Mind Eraser (No Chaser)” has the makings
of a rock hit. Clever lyrics and an up-tempo sound make you want to
thrash about.

“New Fang,” the first single gives you a one-two punch that helps you remember a time when you used to listen to an album straight through. The song runs with pure enthusiasm.

The album continues onward and you find yourself brought into its
control. At almost seven minutes long, “Elephants” has a smooth intro
that melds into almost a totally different song. While most may overlook it,
“Scumbag Blues” holds some killer riffs.

If you like songs that blend several genres together, there is one song
you shouldn’t miss. “Warsaw or the First Breath You Take After You Give Up” blends blues and hard rock. It is one of those songs that will never get airplay because of its length but may be the best song on the whole album (and maybe the best pure rock song of this year).

This may be the most ambitious rock album of 2009. It may have a couple of fillers, but what album doesn’t these days? In fact, what may be fillers on this album may be small hits for lesser bands.

If you have a chance, check out this album during the holiday season. You won’t be disappointed in what you find.

Comment

Commenting is closed for this article.