Queens of the Stone Age
Villains
Reviewed by Ashley Paskill
American rock band released their seventh album, Villains, last month which was produced by Mark Ronson (Bruno Mars, Adele, Lady Gaga) and Mark Rankin (The Hoosiers, Gun). While some long-time fans may complain that this album has more of a “pop” feel than their previous albums, Villains is a great way for the non-fans to approach the band’s music. Queens of the Stone Age are such multifaceted talented musicians that are able to play various styles that also shows off the band’s versatility and talent.
Album opener, “Feet Don’t Fail Me Now,” is a great way to kick it off. It starts off slowly and softly with some guitar and drums beating through and gradually it builds momentum. You can feel the song move as it brings you to the chorus. I think, that this would be a great song to open shows with in order to build audience anticipation.
“The Way You Used To Do” is the most pop-y song of the album. Even though it strays from the darker sound fans are used to, some of the lyrics still hold true to their darker nature. It is a dance song, almost resembling a swing-style song.
Like the song opener, the album’s closing song, “Villains of Circumstance,” builds momentum as the song goes on, with the opening instrumentation starting off slowly along with the vocals being softer in nature. The song does not fully pick up until the end of the second stanza. Unlike the previous album, …Like Clockwork, the closer ends on a resolved note, leaving the listener satisfied to move onto the next album on their list if they choose, as opposed to leaving them wanting more and leading right into the next song.
Overall, this album is worth a listen, especially if you have been meaning to check out Queens of the Stone Age or similar styles of music and have been reluctant to do. It does not get into the band’s darker side as much as other albums, so it is a great introduction for those wanting something “approachable” as a first listen.
Queens of the Stone Age are currently on tour with opening act Royal Blood. They are playing a mix of old songs and new album tracks in their shows. Even though we just missed them this month, they are tickets still available for their Madison Square Garden show on October 24th.
Rating: Listenable
Band Members: Josh Homme, Troy Van Leeuwen, Michael Shuman, Dean Fertita and Jon Theodore
Label: Matador Records
