'Lullabies' doesn't really 'Paralyze'

It's no secret that Josh Homme, guitarist, singer and songwriter for Queens of the Stone Age, sacked longtime bassist Nick Oliveri last year. As a result, some fans have speculated that the absence of Oliveri would leave the Queens' new album without its essential rock 'n' roll sprit, but Lullabies to Paralyze, the first Queens' album since 2002's Songs for the Deaf, illustrates that those fears are, by and large, unfounded.\nThat is not to say that Lullabies is a perfect record, or that Oliveri's ripping vocals and pounding bass lines aren't occasionally missed, but it appears that Homme has enough friends to make up the difference. With help from Shirley Manson (Garbage), Brody Dalle (the Distillers), Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), Joey Castillo (Danzig) and Paz Lenchantin (A Perfect Circle), it seems that on the whole Homme has created an album full of broad, rich tones, floating melodies and memorable songs.\nIn contrast to Songs for the Deaf, some of the most memorable moments on Lullabies are its fuzzy, enlivening songs such as "I Never Came," "Tangled Up in Plaid" and "Everybody Knows That You Are Insane." Slower numbers that could easily be lost within such a lengthy CD (such as "Someone's in the Wolf" and "The Blood Is Love") are wisely anchored into their rightful places by their compelling, potent guitar riffs. The album's leading single, "Little Sister," is a bit deceiving in its brash attempt to revive the heated, intense energy of Songs for the Deaf with its ringing cowbell and sneering vocals. If one is buying Lullabies expecting to get another copy of Songs, they will be sorely disappointed. In fact, it's the sense of dynamic that Homme has used in mixing rock numbers like "Little Sister" with calm songs like "I Never Came," and intriguing songs like "Burn the Witch" that gives Lullabies a full range of emotion and mood. \nIt appears that Homme and company want Lullabies to Paralyze to be heard as a long, epic tale full of brilliance and majesty, but it's the push and pull of its different layers and shifting moods that truly defines the record.