Bojan Preradovic

Queens of the Stone Age: Perfecth 8/10. General thoughts while listening through: This album feels like the final six or so months I was in my hometown in California before moving to Seattle. Hell, it captivates a bit of the transition up here too. It’s what they do best: Grungy, dirty, sand-filled desert rock. This album brings a bit more of an emotional tone with a frigid winter bite, depressed to hell but full of energy at times. The majority of their albums have felt purely summertime to me, but this one is a perfecth entry for this time of year. Especially up here in Washington, we’re entering the “big dark” of the year. Mornings lit by street-lamps. The little daylight on offer lost to offices and meetings. Evenings stuck in rush hour traffic and a sea of headlights. There are moments of warmth in a few songs. Vibes of wool blankets and campfires on “From the Cliff” for sure. “Sunday” in particular is a shot of harsh whiskey between laughs at a dive bar with friends. But all levity is surrounded by a deep, dark night well before sunrise in songs like “Insignificant Other” and “Phantom Limb”. It may sound brutal, but that’s what life can be sometimes. The highs are high, the lows are a gut punch, and damn is it thrilling. Always learning. Always growing. Wish the album were a bit longer. No high-octane jams sprinkled in, but these songs will mix well with their hits of the past when throwing their discography on shuffle.