A Different Stripe of Supergroup: The Dead Weather, 'Horehound'

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ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER supergroup, according to Jack White's schedule.

Actually, let's do away with the "supergroup" moniker — members of various bands playing together rarely deserves all the agitation it inspires. White's creativity valve is permanently stuck in the "on" position, so who can blame him for seeking out new and curious projects?

And when a musician of his caliber tries out some new sounds with new people, there's rarely much to complain about. His previous conglomo-band, The Raconteurs, scored pretty highly with the music community, so it's not surprising that his new outfit, The Dead Weather, doesn't disappoint.

The Dead Weather is singer Alison Mosshart (of U.K. rockers The Kills); Jack Lawrence (also of The Raconteurs) on bass; Dean Fertita (of Queens Of The Stone Age) on guitar; and White himself doing duty as drummer, backup singer, producer and designer of the new Third Man Studios, where "Horehound" was recorded in all of three weeks.

Mosshart takes the lead vocals on just about all the tracks, with frequent backup by White, and overall she's a rousing success — her voice has the weight to stand up next to Fertita's fierce guitar and White's frenetic drums. Between the powerhouse instrumentation and the often-screamy vocals, your ears will take a serious beating from "Horehound," and for the most part, that's good thing. And while surprising, White's decision not to take lead guitar was probably wise, since it allows "Horehound" to sound less Jack White-ish and more universally badass-rock-band-ish.

It's a shame you can't skip ahead to the second listen of this album, because just as it demonstrates exactly where it's going, it gets there, and then the album's over. The second time around, the cast of characters in White's burlesque rock show benefits from a little bit of familiarity, and you can zero in on its strengths.

Right up front, "Horehound" is not for the rock-uninitiated. Leaving no room for introduction or anything resembling a bouncy White Stripes-esque chorus, the album lunges into "60 Feet Tall," a ferocious leviathan that sneaks up, stalks you with sparse vocals, then suddenly attacks, clawing and ripping all kinds of crazy riffs to tiny shreds.

The next track, "Hang You From the Heavens," may not have been the best choice for a first single — alone, it sounds like a cover of a cover of Led Zeppelin-meets-The Kills, and in the album's context it just sounds uninspired.

There's plenty of better material to be found instead, like the keyboard layers on "I Cut Like a Buffalo" ("Is that you choking?" White gleefully demands, exemplifying "Horehound's" rather violent and morbid nature) and the delightful prog-rock licks on "Treat Me Like Your Mother."

A minor low point is "So Far From Your Weapon," which seems a little rushed, lingering in just the wrong places with no real destination; and between the heavy, fuzz-laden cover of Bob Dylan's "New Pony" and the overly harsh "Bone House," the record drags in places, especially with the lack of any real singles or editing to smooth over the rough surfaces — although if rough is what you're looking for, "Horehound" doesn't disappoint.

The album closer, "Will There Be Enough Water?," mimics classic blues-rock with such B-side perfection (complete with outdoor-festival-inspired crickets) that it makes you want to flip the 12-inch over and drop the needle all over again (even if you can't, because you have it on CD).

The Dead Weather exemplifies White's ability to sing, play, produce and diversify his rock inclinations, but does it add much to the genre? Maybe not, but it does the genre proud. And at least one thing is for sure: This live show will kick some ass.

» 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW; with Screaming Females, Mon., July 13 & Tue., July 14, 7 p.m. doors, $35; 202-265-0930. (U Street/Cardozo)

Written by Express contributor Afton Lorraine Woodward

Photos courtesy Press Here Now