Queens of the Stone Age: ...Like Clockwork Review

Album: ...Like Clockwork

Artist: Queens of the Stone Age

Genre: Alternative/Stoner Rock

8.0/10

      

    Queens of the Stone Age are almost huge.  They're definitely well known, but no one could really argue that they're a stadium-filling band.  They do have a myriad of moderate hits and usually grab a high place on the Billboard album charts, but they never seem to reach that Foo Fighters level of rock popularity, and for awhile I never understood why.  The more I listen to their new record, however, the more I realize perhaps why they aren't that popular.  With crashing guitars, intense solos, dirty production style, and above 4:30 song lengths, the songs on ...Like Clockwork just have too much for a casual rock listener to handle.  They're content with their straightforward pop-rock antics like the Foo Fighter's "The Pretender" or Jet's "Are You Gonna Be My Girl".  Queens of the Stone Age are definitely accessible, but they also have a truly musical component that can set them above other modern mainstream acts.

     Deep and messy tracks like opener "Keep Your Eyes Peeled" layer on component after component. Drums boom for one verse and become filtered for the next.  Clear piano chords resonate alongside fuzzy bass lines.  "Smooth Sailing" features some heavy syncopation and interplay between the instruments, with Homme reaching as high as his vocal register can while still retaining that constant heavy atmosphere.  Trent Reznor really brings a creepy factor to "Kalopsia".  Heavy breathing and deep subbass synth tones give the first part of the track a near-ambient break in the fast-pacedness of this record.  This tone doesn't linger though, as guitars screech and crash to bring in the most powerful chorus on the record.  "I Appear Missing" boasts an over 6 minute song length that is justified with a dichotic breakdown and noisy outro.

    While these components are the ones that truly set Queens apart, Josh Homme's pop smarts cannot be denied either.  Homme has a knack for crafting simple yet catchy melodies on top of his layered, methodical instrumentals.  "The Vampyre Of Time and Memory" and "Fairweather Friends" both boast incredibly catchy vocal lines.  He creates a perfect amount of space between him and the chord changes, and embellishes his voice to match the theme of the song.  Single of the record "My God Is the Sun" is a deceptively simple track that is a clear choice for lead single.  It's danceable, singable, and ends with the oh-so-tantalizing half-time outro.

     The record is not without fault however.  Sometimes the messiness loses its charm and becomes somewhat muddled like on the opener.  If you pay attention to lyrics in your music you may not like what you hear, as Josh relies heavily on cliches throughout the record.  The ending of "Fairweather Friends", while funny, definitely denies the listener a satisfying end to the tune.  Finally, the last track is pulled straight out of a rock bible, with a slow piano chord intro, swelling strings, and tired melody.  It's something we've heard a dozen times a dozen times before.  But overall, it's a satisfying return to form for QOTSA, and their best record since Songs for the Deaf.  8.0 clocks out of 10.

Fave Tracks: I Sat By the Ocean, Kalopsia, My God is the Sun, I Appear Missing