There's no escaping the fact that Eagles of Death Metal are a side-project. Most people will know Josh Homme as frontman of one of the best-known desert rock bands on the planet - Queens of the Stone Age - and they'll have come to his 'other' band through that route. Originally formed in 1998, the duo (Jesse Hughes fronts the garage rockers) have yet to make a hugely significant impact, although they've certainly enjoyed a moderate level of underground success.
Where the 'side-project' aspect of their collaboration is made glaringly obvious, though, is on tracks like '(I Used to Dance) Tight Pants' from their third album. Like much of their past material, its demo-like quality is not without its charms, but ultimately comes across more like a hotch-potch of half-baked ideas and random jams.
Thankfully, there's a lot to be said for a sense of direction, and when they eventually find it, there's plenty of likeable elements strewn across these twelve tracks. 'High Voltage' is a thundering, grimy garage tune that sounds like it was recorded on vintage gear; 'Secret Plans', like many other tracks here, is a quietly frantic number peppered with a sunny melody; 'Prissy Prancin'' pays blatant homage to the glam stomp of the Stones and T-Rex but is no worse off for it. It's the title track, however, that'll probably raise the most eyebrows: a quirky, scuzzy pop song that's lined with singalong harmonies, it's short, simple and oh-so-sweet. They'll never eclipse their guitarist's day-job - but if they keep making albums as fun as this one, Eagles of Death Metal may not always be deemed completely inferior, either.
