The Dead Weather: Sea Of Cowards

The Dead Weather
Sea Of Cowards
Third Man/Warner Bros. Records [2010]









Fire Note Says: Jack White's third band is finding their groove!

Album Review:
We all know Jack White is a busy man and the sophomore record from The Dead Weather, released just 10 months after their debut, is another reminder of his high productivity. Weirdly enough, this vehicle mostly driven by The Kills front woman Alison Mosshart is probably White's least popular group, as their songs give you a grinding blues rock that typically is absent of a hook. For whatever reason, this tends to lose his large following when the fact remains that The Dead Weather's output is some of his most interesting. It also can be some of his most challenging to absorb and Sea Of Cowards does nothing much to musically change this formula. The one noticeable tweak you will find here is that Jack steps up to mic much more then before and Sea Of Cowards production is much cleaner. Now don't mistake that last statement for polished because Cowards is still a dirty blues ride to the end but the vocals take a much more front seat then some of the muddled chops we found on Horehound [2009]. If you are a Jack White fan then Sea Of Cowards is a no-brainer to pick up because it is a fun 35 minute ride. If you are hesitant based on Horehound, give this outing a chance, as it will quickly hit a garage blues vein in you after several listens. This record really shows the band finding their groove and offers a more consistent balance across its eleven tracks then their debut. The key to remember getting into this album is simple: This ain't no White Stripes record - This ain't no Raconteurs record - This is the The Dead Weather and you are here to experience Sea Of Cowards roar!

Key Tracks: "Hustle And Cuss", "Die By The Drop", "Gasoline"

Bands With Similar Fire:
Grinderman
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
The Black Keys

The Dead Weather: Horehound [Fire Note Review 7/13/09]
The Dead Weather: Treat Me Like Your Mother [Single] [Fire Note Review 6/9/09]

Official Dead Weather Website
The Dead Weather MySpace
The Dead Weather Facebook
Third Man Records
Warner Bros. Records

-Reviewed by Christopher Anthony