Declaring oneself to be a badass, even in jest, is not the smartest of moves. As the pointedly slack-jawed Sweet Little Down & Out ambles past, idly ticking the usual desert rock boxes, there’s a strong sense that Mojave Lords’ proclaimed unfuckwithableness has yet to be verified.
A collaboration between Desert Sessions alumnus Dave Catching and assorted Queens Of The Stone Age and Masters Of Reality, this arrives with plenty of authentic hot sand in its ears and, for at least half of the ride, sounds every bit as spontaneous and shambolic as you might expect given the people involved.
Sadly, as exemplified by the closing title track’s lazy swagger and half-baked hook, Unfuckwithable frequently sounds like it was more fun to make than it is to listen to.
Catching is a canny sod, however. And there are subtle embellishments, like the lissom synths that burst through the cracks in Dancefloor Slammer’s red-eyed funk façade, and the clicking pulse that propels the Devo-ish strut of Microwave Me Baby.
These point to a more imaginative approach that the band would do well to explore further next time./o:p
