Supergroups are always hyped to hell and back, but usually do not live up to the greatness of their collective parts. However, every so often an exception will come along.
Say hello to The Dead Weather: Jack Lawrence (The Greenhornes), Dean Fertita (Queens of the Stone Age), Alison Mosshart (The Kills) and everywhere man/super genius/king of cool Jack White (White Stripes/Raconteurs), who not only delivered the goods with last years debut Horehound, but proved that it was no fluke with the hot, dirty mess of bluesy rock that is Sea of Cowards.
The album is a rough and raw lesson in minimalism and classic analogue recording, and every track is fan-fuzzing-tastic. Opener Blue Blood Blues is one of two tracks to feature White on vocals, and is also one the records best tracks with it's driving, fuzzed out riff. The winners keep coming with a slinky, swaggering bassline underpinning the laid back Hustle and Cuss, and The Difference Between Us, which begins with spacey synth and is the album's hookiest track. You can almost see Mosshart sneering as she delivers lines like 'I'm not the way that you found me, I'm neither here nor there.'
Those despairing White's lack of mic time need not to, as Mosshart's smoky one minute, snarly the next vocal style is perfect for the band's instrumental sound and songwriting style. Each line is delivered with sass and spunk (especially on the deliciously wicked I'm Mad), and Mosshart seems to have a natural rock and roll charisma that will carry onto the stage. White may be behind the kit, but his influence is still all over the guitars in both tones and playing. But although many licks have that distinctly White Stripes-y feel, it's done tastefully enough to not take anything away from the excellent playing of Fertita, especially on Gasoline with it's stuttering, effects laden opening and ripping blues solo.
Sea of Cowards manages to be both entirely fresh and brimming with retro cool; to hark back to a more frills-free era of rock and roll but still be rooted in the now. Which means it will probably still kick your ass in 10 years time. Potential supergroups of the future take note: this is how it's done.
