Having not released anything since their third LP Heart On in 2008, the news of a new LP from Eagles of Death Metal in 2015 came as a surprise to many earlier this year. This latest effort, Zipper Down, will not disappoint fans of their unashamed, blistering rock ‘n’ roll energy.
With another set of grooving, bluesy tracks, filled with catchy guitar hooks and their own style of sexy, tongue-in-cheek lyricism, it appears the Palm Desert duo never fail to deliver. It is easy for Josh Homme – co-founder of EODM with childhood friend Jesse Hughes – to lurch from project to project, given his wealth of talent and experience. After the huge success of his 2013 release …Like Clockwork with Queens of the Stone Age, and his close involvement with the equally acclaimed Arctic Monkeys’ release AM, Homme has returned to work with aplomb for this latest EODM release.
Although unlikely to garner as much critical success as …Like Clockwork or AM – and rightly so – Zipper Down is every bit what EODM have always been about. They have produced here a collection of fast, fun, cool-as-fuck tracks which, fuelled with all their renowned rock and blues drive, they claim will “actually end global warming” it’s so good.
Zipper Down opens with ‘Complexity’, which was released earlier this year as their lead single. Without hesitation, the upbeat drums and muted, driving guitar riffs set the tone and pace of this record. The standout track is the second on the album, ‘Silverlake (KSOFM)’, on which Hughes and Homme vent about the try-hard, “real cool kids” who hang out in the neighbourhood of Silverlake in LA. Crammed with aphorisms the duo imagine the dwellers of Silverlake to declare “Don’t be uncool man ‘cause the owner’s like my best friend” or “I am from Silverlake and I am in a cool band”, this track typifies the ethos of EODM – they don’t take things too seriously, and you shouldn’t either.
“Followers of this group will enjoy another collection defined by Homme’s shameless, audacious, rock ‘n’ roll revelry”
Other tracks worth listening to are the boisterous ‘Got The Power’ and an unexpected cover of Duran Duran’s ‘Save A Prayer’. Removed of its poppy gleam, ‘Save A Prayer’ takes on a seedier, weighty tone with pounding drum fills, a heavy bass line and eerie backing vocals. As to why it features on an otherwise original set of tracks, the answer most likely lies in what appears to be the continuing mantra of the duo – why not?
Overall, this is not a ground-breaking album, but that is hardly its motivation. Given the prestige that surrounds Josh Homme and everything he touches, followers of this group will enjoy another collection defined by Homme’s shameless, audacious, rock ‘n’ roll revelry.
James Noble
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James is currently listening to ‘Gutter Brush’ by Cleft
