Chris DeLine

Supergroup the Dead Weather, featuring members of Queens of the Stone Age (Dean Fertita), the Kills (Alisson Mosshart), the White Stripes (Jack White) and the Greenhornes (Jack Lawrence), immediately captured the interest of music fans by releasing their first single alongside a cover of Gary Numan‘s “Are Friends Electric?,” both lending a raspy blues influence to a sonic parade. Having now released a full-length debut, Horehound, the Dead Weather are escaping criticisms that they’re a hasty side project, and becoming a unique outlet for each of the musicians to experiment with a new sound. The album does little to represent a culmination of the band members’ typical efforts, however, as it takes on a sludgy, gritty sound that swells over the course of Horehound‘s 11 tracks. With a few successful shows already under their belt, the Dead Weather are becoming a powerhouse that stands to add a new depth to each of its superstars’ résumés. 

[This critics’ pick was originally published by City Pages.]