The Eagles of Death Metal are back in action and are kicking all notions of a sophomore slump to the curb. Death by Sexy is thirteen tracks of sassed up garage rock that makes for the ideal Summer soundtrack. So pick up a copy of this album and plan a get-together, because if there is fun to be had, this is an essential album to have handy.
Eagles of Death Metal jumpstart Death by Sexy with their first single off the album, "I Want You So Hard (Boy's Bad News)." The song picks up where the band left off on their previous full-length, Peace Love Death Metal. The music is catchy, upbeat rock-n-roll that'll no doubt get your foot tapping and your butt shakin'. The lyrics are just as infectious, you'll be signing the chorus for days. "I got a Feelin (Just 19)" and "Cherry Cola" follow similarly. A closer look at the lyrics of these songs reveals a sexual undertone, a subject matter that matches Jesse Hughes' falsetto vocal melodies perfectly - making him the male equivalent of Karen O.
Things venture down a different path on occasion, "I Like to Move in the Night" and "Solid Gold" are still rock-n-roll by definition, but they're much more subdued than the previous tracks, something that took a little getting used to. Despite their different nature, these songs are quite enjoyable, especially the acoustic-minded "Solid Gold." This mellowed out sound is later revisited on the songs "The Ballad of Queen Bee & Baby Duck" and "Eagles Goth."
But for the most part, Death by Sexy lives up to its name. With songs like "Don't Speak (I Came to Make a Bang)," "Poor Doggie," and "Shasta Beast" oozing sexuality, both musically and lyrically. Take this excerpt taken from the later: "I wanna pick the lock and break your chastity / I got the combination and the master key."
Much has been made of the simplistic drumming of Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme in this "side-project." And while it may be nothing extravagant or over-the-top, it suits the music of the band perfectly. The same goes for the raw production of Death by Sexy - which I mistakenly labeled as a fault of its predecessor. It gives it that nostalgic feel of 70's rock bands like The Rolling Stones (no surprise given their live cover of "Brown Sugar"), which is exactly what it should sound like. Overproduced rock records sound like crap anyways.
The Eagles of Death Metal aren't out to redefine the music world as we know it. They're a good-natured rock-n-roll band that want you to have as good a time listening to them play as they do playing for you.
