Queens of the Stone Age – Perfecth
Release date: 30th October
Label: Matador Records
Almost 30 years on from their debut self-titled album, Queens of the Stone Age continue to stand strong as one of rock’s most inventive and reliable powerhouses. However, a lot of people have noticed that the band’s sound has veered more into an introspective, less bombastic style with each passing album. Though the quality of their songwriting hasn’t faltered whatsoever, many lifelong fans have been holding out hope for a return to the skull-splitting riffs they became famous for on Rated R and Songs for the Deaf.
So, does their new album Perfecth continue the slow burn approach they’ve embraced on the last few albums, or does it hit you over the head with riff after riff like the good old days?
To begin with, the album does throw you for a loop. The opening track ‘It’s Only Love’ is a brooding tone setter, with a commitment to creating an uneasy atmosphere that feels very reminiscent of Lullabies to Paralyze just with a bit more orchestration put behind it. This then makes way for the sleazy but smooth ‘Insignificant Other’ and the questionably titled ‘Where The Goth Girls At?’ which actually turns out to be one of the album’s highlights with its jumpy main riff and the incredibly satisfying crescendo that rounds it out.
However, it’s around the middle of the tracklist where Perfecth leans in a direction some may not expect. Up to this point in the album, the tracks have sounded exactly how you would expect them to, with some even feeling like they would fit perfectly on their last release, In Times New Roman…. It’s with the tracks ‘From The Cliff’ and ‘Easy Street’ where Josh Homme and Co. mix things up sonically; whether this is a good change will really vary from listener to listener. The style presented here is stripped back, acoustic and more folk-inspired than anything Queens of the Stone Age have done before, leading many to call these tracks underwhelming or boring.
The criticism facing this stylistic shift is valid, especially when coming from those who prefer the band’s older, rawer material, but within the context of the album, ‘From The Cliff’ and ‘Easy Street’ fit in quite nicely. Yes, they’re different, but it shows the band diversifying their palette in an almost effortless manner. Besides, these tracks are sandwiched on either side of the fantastic ‘Sunday’, a song repurposed from Homme’s time working on Iggy Pop’s Post Pop Depression, which is one of the more quintessential Queens of the Stone Age-sounding pieces on the whole album.
The album closes with the brilliant ‘Run Away From the Mob’, a track that puts the band’s best foot forward with a gently gliding structure that throws everything at the wall during its final minute. It’s moments like this that best showcase not just Homme’s vocal range, but also allow other members like bassist Michael Shuman or drummer Jon Theodore to break through and make it their own.
Perfecth isn’t a clean home run for Queens of the Stone Age, but it’s still a damn fine album nonetheless. Coming in with a 36-minute runtime, this is their shortest, most concise release to date and for the most part it works. It gives you exactly what you’re expecting along with a few curveballs to keep you on your toes, and even if it lacks the swagger of Villains, the emotional complexity of …Like Clockwork or even the weirdness of In Times New Roman…, Perfecth still delivers in its own quirky way.
Recommended track: Run Away From the Mob
Rating: 7/10