We hadn’t heard from them for a long time, had we? And by “them”, I mean Josh “the man” Homme and every friend of his he gathers each time so they can all shut themselves in a studio somewhere in the California desert, and make an album out of any “inspiration” they find there. And Josh’s company isn’t to be taken lightly this time around either. Dean Ween, Dave Catching (Queens Of The Stone Age, Mondo Generator, Earthlings?), Chris Goss (Masters Of Reality), Twiggy Ramirez (Marilyn Manson) and PJ Harvey are only some of the guests. Quite a line-up, but what about the album? Is it any good?
The answer to this question is purely subjective, and it on a great part it depends on whether you liked the previous Desert Sessions volumes. That is, if you liked them as a matter of attitude and mood, because these sessions never kept a specific sound within any limits, no matter how broad they are set. After all, as Homme once stated, “at Desert Sessions we play for the sake of the music and that only”. As a result, the musicians here explore and experiment freely. By the time you hear the first track “Dead In Love” with its flute and saxophone ending, it’s pretty clear that you’re going to go through an unexpected and, in a good way, uncertain trip. “I Wanna Make It Wit Chu” keeps a more laid-back rhythm with Homme doing his known melodic vocals, “Covered In Punk’s Blood” is an instrumental aggressive “harsh” rock piece, while “There Will Never Be A Better Time” is the first moving moment of the album, where PJ Harvey practically cries over the microphone in a way that can’t leave you apathetic. I could go on track by track because I don’t think there’s a way to characterize this album as a whole, as each song is different and has something of its own to offer to the listener.
I really liked this piece of work, which shows what some great musicians can come up with if they get together with absolutely no kind of pressure over their heads. It’s a perfect example of how beautiful music can be; and the more spontaneous and “lawless” it is, the even more beautiful.

www.desertsessions.com
www.ipecac.com