The triumphant desert gods of modern rock n’ roll have returned. After torturing and teasing diehard fans for a few months, the band releases their first new song since 2013. Queens Of The Stone Age are back in full force.
QOTSA.com was updated this week, giving fans an interactive television set full of album teases. The most notable being a hilarious video in which Liam Lynch gives Josh Homme a polygraph test, revealing album details and teasing the opening track.
Today was the big day, the band released their single “The Way You Used To Do.” Along with an August 25 release date for Villains.
Homme has always been about hip twisting and tail shaking, this new song is the deepest into “dancy” the band has ever gone. The Way You Used To Do is an infectious and groovy number, QOTSA is once again headed into uncharted territory.
The previous six installments in their prestigious discography are all very different from each other. The band evolves in every sense from one era to the next. If this single is any indication, Villains will be the light and loose response to the dark and heavy themes of …Like Clockwork.
Josh’s vocals and consistent hand claps are the driving force of the track. It’s a strange direction for the band, but not an unwelcome one.
Personally, I don’t like that the rest of the band takes a back seat, sitting further back in the mix. Initially, it sounded like drummer John Theodore had been reduced to a snare and bass drum. Upon multiple listens, and a drastic increase in volume, the full band is exposed.
Mark Ronson is producing the album, perhaps this was a decision he made. His most notable producer credits are pop singers and not necessarily rock bands.
I’m not crazy about the mix, but the instrumentation is a lot more interesting than I originally thought when I dove deeper into the background. Queens have always been a band that reveals its brilliance through the layers of sound they present, rewarding fans the more attention they pay.
Regardless of my initial impression, it’s undeniably infectious and I can’t stop listening to it. The best in the business are back, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for more content as the August 25 release date for Villains approaches.
