Queens of the Stone Age – Perfecth
That Josh Homme pays little attention to expectations is by now well known. On “Perfecth”, the ninth album by Queens of the Stone Age, he throws a substantial part of the guitar wall overboard and opts for something that once seemed unlikely for this band. It is an album that sounds raw and open, almost uncomfortably intimate, and that is precisely why it stays with you.
Homme emerged from the Palm Desert desert in the early nineties, where he elevated the riff to an art form with Kyuss. In 1996, he started Queens of the Stone Age, a band that secured a permanent place in rock with “Rated R” and “Songs for the Deaf”. The previous album, “In Times New Roman…” from 2023, sounded claustrophobic and dirty, written as his marriage was falling apart. Health problems followed as well. You can hear that reflected here. Whereas the band used to stomp its way forward, it now occasionally looks back at what lies behind it. The recordings took place across several studios, including in New Orleans, and Homme produced the album alongside bassist Michael Shuman.
The opener “It’s Only Love” immediately sets the tone. Strings swirl around Homme’s sighs, and death is closer than you would expect from this band. Next comes “Easy Street”, featuring singer Nikki Lane alongside him. The song sounds sunny, with acoustic guitar and handclaps in an almost flamenco-style arrangement, but the lyrics list drink, violence and even self-sabotage. That contrast works particularly well. The man jokes about his own wreckage and knows exactly that he is the culprit himself.
“Insignificant Other” reveals a smoother side of the band. Wurlitzer piano, funky guitar and falsetto with seventies-style chords expose a breakup song that hurts more than it wants to admit. “Where the Goth Girls At?” is the track where the old Queens briefly come around the corner. A deliberately stupid riff builds into a big chorus, and suddenly there is dirt under the fingernails again. “Mono” drifts slowly by and ranks among the most vulnerable moments. “Phantom Limb” is a dark boogie in which Homme openly admits that he needs help. With “Sunday”, a song Homme wrote for Iggy Pop years ago, the album gets another idiosyncratic cover version.
Not everyone will be pleased with this. Those hoping for an album full of driving riffs and a tough attitude will be partly disappointed. The restraint is considerable, and the songs are sometimes arranged almost too cautiously. With nine tracks, the album is also over quickly. Yet that feels more measured than insufficient. There is little filler, and the cohesion is strong despite the changing styles, from country to jazz and art rock.
“Perfecth” is not an album that apologises for what the band once was, nor is it an attempt to do it all over again. Homme sings better than ever and dares to show his vulnerability without losing his sharp sense of humour. Thirty years after its formation, Queens of the Stone Age still sounds restless, curious and a little dangerous. The fact that the album creaks and is not perfect is precisely what makes it convincing. (9/10) (Matador)
