The Dead Weather — Horehound

Horehound

Third Man/Warner

Kate Harper (CHARTattack)

07/17/2009 1:54pm

Horehound, The Dead Weather's debut album, begins with singer Alison Mosshart spitting and snarling on "60 Feet Tall," which contains a blistering, bluesy guitar solo from Dean Fertita.

It's a hell of a way to kick off an album, and when Mosshart yowls about grabbing someone by the hair on first single "Hang You From The Heavens," the next track, you believe it.

Unfortunately, things fall apart on "So Far From Your Weapon," which is all groove and never goes anywhere. "Treat Me Like Your Mother" has a bit more punch, and "Rocking Horse" has a bassline that vaguely recalls the main riff to The White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army." But the latter track is again mostly groove and falls short of the mark.

The lyrics to "Bone House" make it sound like it's either about burying or killing someone (or both), but it lacks punch and Mosshart doesn't deliver it in a way that makes it sound threatening. Horehound ends with "Will There Be Enough Water?," a somewhat quiet acoustic track that probably shouldn't have finished things.

More spitting, snarling and raw guitar would have proved these guys meant business. It's probably telling The Dead Weather is Jack White's third band and that he plays drums because most of the time it sounds like Horehound is just dithering.

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