Horehound
Horehound turns blues rock into something dark and restless. The Dead Weather let heavy riffs run while drums frequently move around the central pulse. Alison Mosshart sings fiercely but can also soften her voice and draw out a phrase. The record relies less on immediate choruses than on what the musicians can find together inside a rhythm or guitar idea.
60 Feet Tall leaves room between guitar and percussion before moving into a forceful climax. The quieter beginning gives that change real impact. It shows how space can make the band's heavy sound more effective.
Treat Me Like Your Mother has more immediate force. Mosshart and Jack White push closely against each other vocally, drawing energy from their differences. I Cut Like A Buffalo gives White a deeper voice and gains a different character. The exchange works best when the singing does more than follow the guitars. Those moments turn the band's strong sound into something more individual.
New Pony gives Bob Dylan's song a much rougher treatment. The rough approach fits the band well. So Far From Your Weapon demonstrates that an absorbing rhythm and Mosshart's softer delivery can also produce tension. Will There Be Enough Water? then takes the record back towards calmer blues at the end, providing useful space after the heavier material.
That looseness has limits. Some pieces lack a clear individual centre, and the dense sound can become claustrophobic. Greater variety would have strengthened the full record. Yet the best moments have a convincing immediacy. Horehound shows how interesting these musicians can sound together when their responses to one another help move a song forward.
