Desert Sessions

If you’ve come to the conclusion that Josh Homme’s (ex-Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age) Desert Sessions projects can be conveniently slotted into the stoner rock idiom, think again. Volumes V and VI of Homme’s continuing jam sessions with myriad rock types finds each track travelling in its own direction. Opening with some fist-pounding anthem rock (“You Think I Ain’t Worth a Dollar But I Feel Like a Millionaire”), the album drops doses of Dead Milkmen-like indie satire (“Letters To Mommy,” “Take Me To Your Leader”), a couple straight forward punk offerings (“I’m Dead,” “Punk Rock Caveman Living in a Prehistoric Age”), drunken country with electro extro (“Goin to a Hangin”), a cowpoke ballad (“Like A Drug”), progressive pop epic (“Rickshaw”) and even some of that choice stoner boogie you’ve come to know and love (“A #1,” “Teens Of Thailand”). A look at the host of contributors might shed some light on the diversity of sounds presented; members of the Dwarves, Fu Manchu, the Miracle Workers, Sea Hags, Screaming Trees and Tuatara all take part in the festivities. So if the album sounds like a misconceived compilation, don’t fret — just pretend you’re at Josh Homme’s house party and everyone’s fighting over the CD player.