The Dead Weather - Sea of Cowards
(Third Man/Warner Bros.)
Words: James Passarelli
Bob Dylan put out his first six albums in less than four and a half years. Led Zeppelin I through IV came out in less than three years. The Beatles’ twelve original UK LP’s? Eight years. Anyone remember those days? I myself wasn’t even close to being born yet, but I’ve heard the albums. More time doesn’t always yield better results. Just ask the Red Hot Chili Peppers, or U2, or Guns ‘N’ Roses. Wait, I’m pretty sure they’re proud of their results. Somehow it’s become a popular notion that the more time and work someone spends on an album, the better it will be. The average gap between major album releases has increased to around three years over the past couple decades. Hell, Beethoven even wrote his symphonies in shorter time spans. But music is a spontaneous affair – even the most well thought-out and polished compositions are rooted in basic impulses.
When The Dead Weather released their second full-length, Sea of Cowards, just ten months after their debut, Horehound, the accusations of the band being another one of self- indulgent Jack White’s indulgent side projects only grew in number. In order to address those accusations, it’s important to define two words: “self- indulgent” and “side-project.” The word “self-indulgent” almost always carries a negative connotation. It implies that an artist makes the music without any regard for the rest of the world. But what makes some kinds of music more self-indulgent than others?…And isn’t that isn’t that kind of the point? And then there’s the pigeonholing of The Dead Weather as merely White’s toy. And White does take a more active role in this album, but still not enough of one to merit the accusations. While both albums are littered with White’s signature guitar distortions and freak- blues riffs, this band has more checks than the United States Government. As with Horehound, White only single- handedly wrote one song, the rest penned by various combinations of the four band members.
Funny enough, Sea of Cowards derives its name from the multitude of slanderers who use the Internet to speak their mind while at the same time concealing their real names. The cover smartly suggests this with an eerie photo of each member hiding behind a different mask. And the album has a religious undertone (or should I say overtone?). “All the white trip when I sing at Sunday service,” cries White in “Blue Blood Blues.” Dean Fertitia plays synthesizers reminiscent of warped church organs play in the background of “The Difference Between Us”, not to mention the actual organs on “Gasoline.” And in closing song “Old Mary”, that one song that White wrote himself, he cleverly recites his twisted version of the Hail Mary to a congregation comprised of co-leader Alison Mosshart in what turns out to be a hauntingly epic conclusion. Whether or not this underlying theme means the songs’ creators see this libel as a sort of to The Dead Weather’s already chilling atmosphere.
Can “bluesiness” ever reach a peak? White, Mosshart, Fertita, and bassist Jack Lawrence are trying to find out, cramming everything blues into thirty-five minutes. It’s not a frantic or careless cramming. Most of the songs manage to flow much more easily than the separate pieces of their frantic composition might suggest. The opening bass line of “Hustle and Cuss” calmly screams blues, and it’s further complimented by Mosshart’s low rasp: “Knock on the door/the door knocks back/Joke never go n further than that.” Later in the song, Mosshart gives out delightful shrieks that become indistinguishable from the screeching, metallic guitar. “Looking at the Invisible Man” and “Die By the Drop” experiment with White’s already innovative guitar and drum styles. “Jawbreaker” is a frenetic, high-energy fusion of incessant guitar, drums, and Fertitia’s synthesizers. Then there’s “I Can’t Hear You”, driven by dueling guitar riffs, one of which is so low it’s easy to mistake as a bass. Mosshart takes charge again here with her harsh, breaking vocals, and White makes a instantaneous cameo, mimicking the backing guitar with a monkey-sounding “ah-ah-ah-ah- ah-ah…ah” on the best track of 2010 so far.
If ten months is all it took The Dead Weather to top their outstanding debut, I can’t wait to look back as the ball drops 2020. White once again shows his ability to work just as well with non- family members as his White Stripes partner, and the rest of the band once again shows they’re more than talented enough to act as his equals. If only W.C. Handy could see how far his blues have come…he’d probably have a heart attack.
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