With the early release of the single “My God is the Sun” showing so many similarities to their mega-hit “No One Knows” off their third album, Songs for the Deaf, Queens of the Stone Age fans knew right away that the band’s sixth studio album, …Like Clockwork, would not disappoint. Those of us who have been holding our breath for the past seven years finally have the chance to exhale and enjoy this new, clean sound with allusions to past themes and sounds from Queens. Front-man Josh Homme managed to put his two remaining band members–bassist Michael Shuman and long-time guitarist Troy Van Leeuwan–together with two new members–guitarist/keyboardist Dean Fertita and drummer Jon Theodore–to create ten genius tracks with enough musical potency to satisfy all those who have been in QOSTA detox since 2007.
If nothing else gave the indication that the old Queens were back, the album artwork exemplified their past image fairly well: a plain, dark pink background with a helpless, almost consenting, woman wrapped in the black cape of what can only be described as a skeletal vampire. The fans also got a detailed look into the sound and subject matter of the album with the release of a 15-minute, animated short film a few weeks before drop date. The film used scary imagery and personified some horrifying characters to act out segments of the album which discussed dark and even apocalyptic themes. The band also made the creative decision to play clips from the short film during live performances after the album’s release to add an extra visual component to their shows.
The confusion still had not left the air for QOTSA fan’s after Josh Homme’s flop in 2009’s super-group, Them Crooked Vultures. With the drumming and singing prowess of Nirvana’s and the Foo Fighter’s Dave Grohl, the versatility of Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones, and the guitar skills, singing, and songwriting abilities of Josh Homme, how could such a great collaboration go wrong? Maybe it was the incredibly arbitrary lyrics or maybe it was simply the clashing of three completely different backgrounds, but the overhyped Them Crooked Vultures fame was incredibly short-lived.
Perhaps the greatest anticipation of …Like Clockwork’s success came from the news that Josh Homme had been collaborating with QOTSA’s original bassist. Nick Oliveri’s lead vocals can be heard on old tracks like “You Think I Ain’t Worth a Dollar But I Feel Like a Millionaire” off Songs for the Deaf and “Tension Head” off of their second album, R. Homme claimed to have kept in touch and remained good friends with Oliveri, even after his firing from the band in 2004. Although Oliveri’s contribution to the album was simply backing vocals on the track “If I Had a Tail,” even the smallest reunion of the old QOTSA must give fans a warm feeling.
The true genius of the album lies in the band’s sound, which incorporates the same “creepy” vibe that has attracted so many of their past fans with a fresh and catchy pop sound. The album starts off with the ominous “Keep Your Eyes Peeled” and uses the Queens’ favorite low C-tuning, suggesting a return to the tactics of their hit third album, Songs for the Deaf, which used C-tuning throughout. Small “Easter eggs” lie in later tracks like “If I Had a Tail,” which manages to sneak in one out-of-place, perhaps ugly, note in the middle of a catchy chorus, and the track, “My God is the Sun” introduces some very sudden key changes; both of these hint at characteristics of old QOTSA tracks, as if the band wants to call out to fans: “Hey, we’re still here behind this new catchy sound!”
The band does a great job of showing their ability to record catchy instrumental riffs throughout the album, exemplified in the introductions to “I Sat By the Ocean,” and “My God is the Sun.” But the band truly excels on this album with their vocal dexterity. Homme shows he can still hit those high octaves like he always has, but listeners might be pleasantly surprised to hear the outstanding vocal accompaniment on the album. Bassist Shuman, previously well-known for his intense screaming vocal abilities, sings beautiful harmonies with Homme on more than half of the album’s songs. Van Leeuwan, normally a falsetto back-up singer, if singing at all, knocks out some huge vocals with a fun call-and-response chorus with Homme on the track “Kalopsia.”
Some fans may have gotten nervous of another Homme flop like Them Crooked Vultures when they spotted the confusing titles of some tracks like “I Appear Missing,” and “Kalopsia,” but the title track “…Like Clockwork” shows up last and wraps up the album with a slow-starting ballad containing some very philosophical lyrics. The last line shows a very clear and stoic attitude towards the future with the statement, “One thing that is clear, it’s all downhill from here.” Each verse portrays a situation of longing for something more in the world, while each chorus suggests that we lack the ability to know what is to come.
All in all, Queens of the Stone Age knew exactly how to create the perfect concoction of songs that would more than satisfy their fan base while also bringing in some new listeners. The band did a spectacular job of ridding the fans of any worries about losing their old sound, especially after their set at Lollapalooza, where they did an equal mix of new and old tracks, and their set on David Letterman, where they surprised everyone in their encore with “Little Sister,” a crowd favorite off of Lullabies to Paralyze. The Queens proved once again that they can do no wrong with the work of art that is …Like Clockwork.
Kevin Callan is a third-year student majoring in Liberal Studies and minoring in journalism. He can be reached at KC765919@wcupa.edu.
Fri. Apr 26th, 2024
