It takes nearly a minute for
Villains to begin its slow ascent from the murk and even longer before the clenched funk of "Feet Don't Fail Me Now" clicks in, a deliberateness that suggests
Josh Homme has supreme confidence in the seventh album from
Queens of the Stone Age. Perhaps some of this swagger flows in
Homme's blood, perhaps it stems from
QOTSA finally reaching Billboard's pole position with 2013's
â?¦Like Clockwork, but there's an undeniable assurance to
Villains that surely has something to do with the band -- or specifically
Homme, who is the only constant in
QOTSA's career -- knowing precisely who they are as they close out their second decade. To that end, the hiring of
Mark Ronson -- the man whose star rose with
Amy Winehouse and who's sustained his fame through
Bruno Mars -- as producer feels like the move of a group who knows no outside influence will dilute their music, and
Villains proves this to be true.
QOTSA doesn't come to
Ronson,
Ronson comes
QOTSA, sharpening their attack and adding spooky grace notes to the margins. On these asides,
QOTSA conjures the dark magic that's been their calling card since the start, but where
â?¦Like Clockwork gained strength from its foreboding,
Villains feels designed to lift spirits. For one, it's filled with ravers and boogies, alternating between taut vamps and louche glam grooves.
Homme goes so far as to tip his stove pipe hat to
Marc Bolan on "Un-Reborn Again," one of a few classic rock nods scattered throughout the album. As classic as
Villains can sound -- and there's no doubting that
Homme and company pledge allegiance to the sounds and styles patented in the '70s -- it feels fresh due to execution. At this stage,
Queens of the Stone Age don't have many new tricks in their bag, but their consummate skill -- accentuated by the fact that this is the first
QOTSA album that features just the band alone, not even augmented by
Mark Lanegan -- means they know when to ratchet up the tempo, when to slide into a mechanical grind, and when to sharpen hooks so they puncture cleanly. All that makes
Villains a dark joy, a record that offers visceral pleasure in its winking menace. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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