Sea of Cowards
Sea of Cowards keeps The Dead Weather close to their dark blues rock but makes them sound more firmly connected. Bass lines are heavy, guitars scrape and keyboards add an unsettling colour. Alison Mosshart and Jack White continue challenging each other vocally. The record has plenty of character, although that shared sound does not produce equally strong songs throughout.
Blue Blood Blues begins convincingly. White's singing stands among large guitar parts and a rhythm that pushes the track clearly forward. The opening needs little time to establish tension. Hustle and Cuss then lets the bass do more work, with Mosshart making the movement darker. Together, the tracks give the record a strong start and a clear sense of purpose.
The Difference Between Us uses a distinctive keyboard part to change the familiar blues approach. Mosshart gains different surroundings without making the sound lighter or friendlier. That recognisable new colour helps the album. Die by the Drop then draws strength from the exchanges between White and Mosshart. Their voices turn a firm foundation into a tense conversation, showing how much the band's appeal depends on interaction.
The second half has less definition. Riffs and rhythms begin to resemble each other, and the feeling of a continuous jam sometimes reduces the songs' individual identities. The playing remains forceful, but the ideas do not all acquire enough shape. As a complete record, it becomes less immediate than those opening tracks promise, even while the atmosphere remains consistent.
Old Mary takes a stranger, slower approach at the end with White at the front. It offers little reassurance but suits the record's restless character. Sea of Cowards convinces most through its rhythm section, changing voices and dense sound. A few more clearly developed songs could have made that same force achieve more.
