Album Review: “Dodge and Burn” – The Dead Weather

The Dead Weather has to be Jack White’s 6,798th project if we take into account how active he’s been in recent years, but what makes this different is that it’s not just himself taking the reins and singing and doing all the production; it’s members of The Kills, Queens of the Stone Age and The Greenhornes. Their third album has done the job of distinguishing their sound as a standalone band instead of just these bluesy minds put together.

Distinguished from their previous efforts, Allison Mosshart really takes the lead as the frontwoman while Jack barely says a word except for on 2 tracks. It also has a lack of classic 60s and 70s instruments that were prominent in their second album, Sea of Cowards. Instead, they’re replaced with a series of grinding effects like echoes, delays, massive fuzz and reverb. Synthesizers also make an appearance but their used in more of a “this generation espionage movie” feel. Songs like “Three Dollar Hat” starts out with this stepping synth that is just so disjointed with the murder ballad that White starts off with and then the effects on the speedy Mosshart part seems like she’s screaming through a mad mod design on a dress from England. While there are some old sounds reused on some of the new tracks, it is obvious that there is a new air to this release. Songs are punchier, but nothing is as sensual as “I Can’t Hear You”, “I’m Mad” or “So Far From Your Weapon” from previous releases.

Having the fuzziest effects this side of Noise Rock does have its upsides though. Songs like “Mile Markers” are my favorite for their layering and hard rock guitar whines and blasting tight snares. Mosshart is yelping into the echoing void in “Too Bad” and the instruments perfectly compliment her confessions to the listener. “Cop and Go” has this constantly plinking piano in the background while the guitar and bass sound like a femme fatale slowly putting a cigarette into her mouth. Right out of a movie. “Beautiful eyes, danger zone.”

So while the single strength isn’t the strongest, the potential for an original sound for the garage rock supergroup does make me hopeful that more experiments will come along the way for more memorable tracks. Dodge and Burn is evanescent, but the sounds are distinct and creative. Mosshart shines in what seems like less of a collaboration and more of her band, and those changes make it a pretty decent album.