The Dead Weather released two new songs Tuesday, a pair of singles that marked the band's newest material since 2010's "Sea of Cowards."
Since The Dead Weather released "Sea of Cowards," a lot has happened. Lead vocalist Alison Mosshart released an album and toured the world with her indie duo, The Kills, drummer Jack White put out two critically-acclaimed solo albums and stared angrily into the distance at many a baseball game and I, an avid fan, graduated not only eighth grade, but high school as well.
In short, it's been a long damn time since their blistering 2010 sophomore album came along, and fans like me have been left begging for more.
Band members White of The White Stripes and The Raconteurs fame, Mosshart of the Kills, Dean Fertita of Queens of the Stoneage and Raconteurs bassist Jack "Little Jack" Lawrence ended fans' wait for new material Jan. 14, when they released a new single on iTunes, "Open Up (That's Enough)," as well as a B-side, "Rough Detective," and finally satisfied the thirst for new music.
"Open Up (That's Enough)," which opens with a shrill scream from Mosshart, features a stomping, punky opening reminiscent of the band's debut album, "Horehound," that then dies down into a bluesier, vocally-driven melody that showcases the maturation the band's sound underwent during the four-year absence. Mosshart's voice, which has gone from the girlish croon of her work with The Kills to a darkly androgynous tone that has begun to characterize The Dead Weather's passive-aggressive style, plays the star on this track as she pleads, wails and shrieks over simple, barely there guitar riffs and characteristically cymbal-heavy percussion.
"Open Up" is contrasted directly by its B-side, "Rough Detective," which is a distorted, guitar-filled duet between Mosshart and White that finally gives a sequel to the angry, cacophonous musical chemistry between the two that fans saw with 2009's "Treat Me Like Your Mother." The song also marked the return of guitarist Fertita's eclectically awesome guitorgan playing that has become a sort of trademark of The Dead Weather's sound. It provided enough of a taste of the band's signature sass to hold fans over for what was to be a nearly seven-month wait until their next dose of music.
The band teased a clip of another new song, "Buzzkill(er)," in July 2014. Then, it released both "Buzzkill(er)" and its B-side, "It's Just Too Bad," to premium subscribers of White's record label. His label, Third Man Records, released these in a package — aptly called Vault — on July 31. The rest of us, however, have been sitting with the knowledge that new music from The Dead Weather exists while not being able to hear it until Nov. 4, when it was released to digital download and iTunes and on music streaming service Spotify.
The single features an array of musical throwbacks, from guitars clearly reminiscent of The Cramps' psychobilly-punk blend to vocals hearkening back more obviously to White and Mosshart's blues roots as she soulfully begs back and forth to be buzzkilled and not in turn. The song also brings up a religious theme of sin and repentance clearly brought from the Southern blues that White cites time and time again as his primary influence. The song was leaked by Third Man Records itself on YouTube on Oct. 29 to a mixed reaction from fans. Although most seem to enjoy the sound of it, some have been offended by the song's thematic elements: that God is a "buzzkill" whom the narrator does not have the time to please.
Religious controversy aside, the track's matured vocals and toned-down, yet still characteristic, guitar and drums signal a continuation of the changes between "Horehound" and "Sea of Cowards," a sign that hopefully means fans will continue to see this richer side of the band's sound on the new album, reported to be coming out some time in 2015.
The most recent release, and the B-side from "Buzzkill(er)," "It's Just Too Bad," continues the evolved sound brought forth on the previous track as Mosshart chants the chorus over dissonant, almost overwhelming guitar riffs. The song, the strongest out of the four releases this year, represents everything that fans (myself particularly) came to love about The Dead Weather.
The deep vocals, the crazed guitars, the tinny cymbals in the background and the feisty attitude are brought by the union of four different, extremely skilled songwriters. These artists who came together to create something that shouldn't work — but somehow does — are all intensely present here.
Jack White performs at Farm Aid '14 at Walnut Creek Amphitheater in Raleigh, N.C., on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2014. (Scott Sharpe/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)The singing is slightly flat, the instrumentation is messy and the lyrics are agonizingly cryptic, but through some kind of musical black magic that only Jack White seems to possess, it all falls together perfectly into a rollicking punk-blues medley. The album perfectly reflects the other projects of the four members with each adding a twist to the sound.
Here's to hoping that the band's rock cocktail continues to grow and release new music for many years to come, starting with the new album coming next year.
Voice your love (or hate) of Jack White and his musical ventures to the reporter by emailing her at ezentner@asu.edu or following her on Twitter @emilymzentner.
Like The State Press on Facebook and follow @statepress on Twitter.
