Sweethead - Sweethead Review
Posted by Aaron Mayagoitia on 05.11.2010
Despite borrowing a few tricks from the Queens of the Stone Age, does Troy Van Leeuwen’s new musical venture have a voice of its own? 411's Aaron Mayagoitia checks in with the full review...
Origins
Once Josh Homme put the Queens of the Stone Age to rest in order to work with Them Crooked Vultures, guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen had to keep himself busy elsewhere. So he got together with drummer Norm Block and bassist Eddie Nappi (both from the Mark Lanegan Band) to start a new band. If you’ve followed the Queens of the Stone Age long enough, you’ll notice that the three members are related in a way to said band: Troy toured as second guitarist for the Songs for the Deaf tour and appeared as a proper member of the band on Era Vulgaris, Mark Lanegan has been a constant contributor ever since Rated R. So the obvious question is, isn’t Sweethead a QOTSA knock-off? Despite borrowing a few tricks from the Queens of the Stone Age, Troy Van Leeuwen’s new musical venture has a sexy voice of its own.
Drop dead legs
Fronting Sweethead is Serrina Sims, a blonde bombshell of a frontwoman with a vocal style oozing with sexuality and rock ‘n’ roll swagger. Her voice can best be described as a blend of Shirley Manson’s confident sexuality and Chrissie Hynde’s rock shrewdness. It is on the slower songs such as “Amazing Vanishing Conquests” and “Traumatized and Dumb” that her sultry delivery is most effective, working together with slow-paced instrumental buildups to send the listener to what can best be described as an erotic thriller’s climactic scene; when the pace speeds up, her crafty performance gels with the band’s barrage of chunky rock riffs – though the rockers vary in effectiveness, while the slow-burning tracks are all shining moments. Serrina is the main element that gives the band its unique voice, being that Sweethead does sound a bit like QOTSA.
Can’t help it
To ignore Sweethead’s similarities with QOTSA is impossible, though what both bands have in common has more to do with how their sound comes out of your speakers than what musical ideas are used. Production tricks such as distorted drums, compressed guitars and (highly) distorted bass are a QOTSA trademark that Sweethead uses as well to get the crunch out. Mixing preferences are also familiar… Just like QOTSA, Sweethead likes its guitars up front with an audible, meaty bass bed; the drums have a powerful presence and the dry-sounding snare drum gives the music a tight, lean finish. If you ask me, there’s nothing wrong with Sweethead using these elements – since that’s what got me into QOTSA in the first place – but it’s best to let those who expect to listen to something completely different by Van Leeuwen know what they’re in for.
The good, the bad and the highlights:
The good are the slower songs that bring out Sweethead’s stronger side. The suggestive lyrics and eerie tone that songs such as “Meet in the Road” and “Amazing Vanishing Conquests” have are worth repeated listens. Not that Sweethead should stick to this rock variant exclusively, but something more interesting than the band’s common rock ‘n’ roll moments definitely goes on when they slow things down.
The bad are some of the rockers. While songs like “P.I.G.” and “The Great Disruptors” pack both stinging lyrics and strong performances, “Turned Our Backs” and “Sinkhole International” are dull in comparison despite having a driving beat. If you’re expecting Sweethead to be a rock powerhouse because of its pedigree, you most certainly won’t be blown away.
The highlights are:
P.I.G.
A lyrical onslaught driven by growling bass and a fierce Serrina performance.
Amazing Vanishing Conquests
Eerie, sexy and with a satisfying climax. Songs like this one are the album’s best.
Meet in the Road
The album’s only acoustic song paints a vivid picture and has a swinging beat.
Traumatized and Dumb
A creeping bass line is the backbone of this superbly-crafted song.
The Great Disruptors
A shining moment of rock riffs and vocal phrasing. Troy’s solos here are red hot.
Night on the town
Here’s Sweethead’s video for “The Great Disruptors”:
Best when slowly cooked
At least for its debut album, Sweethead has shown a knack for crafting slow-paced songs that bring out the best in its instrumental, vocal and lyrical arsenal. These numbers are balanced with flaunty rockers that vary in quality. What’s interesting about Sweethead is that it shows a band with a developing style that leans towards the dark side. If future efforts incline towards nurturing this aspect of Sweethead’s personality with its strengths, then there will surely be something to talk about. But all we have for now is Sweethead, which is a nice addition to the playlists of QOTSA enthusiasts and fans of female-fronted rock. There are no barriers broken here, no lyrical revelations, and no trends set, but Sweethead is the type of band that didn’t come to accomplish such things, only to do its own thing.
The 411: Like your rock when it’s sharp, dark, crunchy and fronted by a sexy female singer? Then Sweethead might just be your next musical purchase. This album is one third Queens of the Stone Age, one third Garbage, and one third Pretenders. Fans of any of these three bands will definitely find something to like about Troy Van Leeuwen’s current musical outlet.
