Them Crooked Vultures - Self Titled

Ahh supergroups. Is the music world still reeling from the awful that was the Damn Yankees, or are we ready for another attempt to form something good? I guess for every Yanks there is a Temple of the Dog or a Traveling Wilburys. Well, the Vultures are not short on star power with the band featuring Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters), John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) and Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age). So far with this one, I'm not sure what to think. I guess with somewhat different backgrounds, I wasn't sure what style they might incorporate. I mean, it always seems in a supergroup one personality bursts through a little more than others. I guess you look at all of Jack White's callabos and it always seems they sound exactly like the Stripes. I don't see that as much on this one. I think they did a pretty good job and mixing it up and coming up with someone reasonably unique. Now having said that, it's by no means going to melt your face off with rock dominance. It's good, and I enjoyed my couple go rounds with it so far - but something isn't clicking with me. Not even sure what that is yet. I hear little riffs of Zeppelin in certain spots and that kind of makes me go one way - then I pick up on some Grohl and I get confused again. Lyrically it's not all there, but there is no question from a guitar standpoint - it's spot on. If you simply focus on that side of the record, I think it stacks up with anything ever done. Arrangement wise, they're all about the same and I could have gone for more variety. I'm hearing that they're working on a second record to be due out either late this year or early 2011. Maybe they'll mix it up a bit more on that one and people will have actually heard of these guys. Until then, give it a shot, let me know what you think.

TRACK LISTING:
1. No One Loves Me & Neither Do I
2. Mind Eraser, No Chaser
3. New Fang
4. Dead End Friends
5. Elephants
6. Scumbag Blues
7. Bandoilers
8. Reptiles
9. Interlude With Ludes
10. Warsaw Or The First Breath You Take After You Give Up
11. Caligulove
12. Gunman
13. Spinning In Daffodils

Listen To Samples

Top 3 Tracks:
1. Spinning In Daffodils
2. Elephant
3. Gunman

FINAL RATING:
3.5 out of 5 stars