In Times New Roman...

by Queens of the Stone Age

Overview

Josh Homme designed Queens of the Stone Age as a vehicle to encourage the kind of free-flowing collaboration he cherishes. While QOTSA never is as loose as the Desert Sessions, a side project where Homme corrals any weirdo who comes his way into the studio, the band always allowed space to run wild on the margins. That's not the case with In Times New Roman..., the album that follows Villains by six years. There isn't a single guest to be heard on In Times New Roman..., a shift that's felt more than heard; the group haven't abandoned their fondness for sudden detours, yet even these byways feel more controlled than they have in the past. Perhaps the shift is due to Homme living through a rough few years, a time of personal turmoil involving a public divorce and a private battle with cancer, one that was revealed only on the eve of this album's 2023 release. Some of this tumult can be heard within the lyrics, but Homme isn't a memoirist; he has an ear for striking phrases that gain import through a full-band arrangement. By working exclusively with a lineup that's been largely in place for 16 years -- only drummer Jon Theodore hasn't been around that long, he's been a part of the group for a decade -- Homme is able to steer QOTSA toward their essence, laying down a foundation of gnarled, greasy guitars that allow the band either to soar to the horizons or plummet to earthy depths. While the thick, churning grind may feel familiar, it never seems staid, not when QOTSA rely on clouds of vocal harmonies to push them onto a psychedelic astral plane, a shift that can amount to the subtle colorings of "Time & Place" or be as startling as the chorus of "Emotion Sickness." QOTSA don't avoid delving deep into fuzz tones -- "Made to Parade" finds endless textures in its interwoven guitars -- but the amount of vocal harmonies help In Times New Roman... feel vulnerable underneath its roar. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	06/16/2023
Label:	Matador
UPC:	0191401194723

Tracks

1. Obscenery
2. Paper Machete
3. Negative Space
4. Time & Place
5. Made to Parade
6. Carnavoyeur
7. What the Peephole Say
8. Sicily
9. Emotion Sickness
10. Straight Jacket Fitting

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Queens of the Stone Age   Primary Artist
Matt Helders   Vocals (Background)
Jeanine McCoy   Vocals (Background)
Sharetta Morgan-Harmon   Vocals (Background)
Tenderlie Lavender   Vocals (Background)
Richard Dodd   Cello
Daphne Chen   Violin
Leah Katz   Viola
Eric Gorfain   Violin

Technical Credits

Queens of the Stone Age   Producer
Brendan Benson   Engineer
Dave Feeny   Engineer
Justin Smith   Engineer
Davey Latter   Drum Technician
Matt Zivich   Guitar Technician
Wayne Faler   Guitar Technician,Keyboard Technician
Joshua Homme   Engineer
Boneface   Artwork
Salar Rajabnik   Guitar Technician,Keyboard Technician
Robert Adam Stevenson   Engineer
Greg White   Assistant
Mark Rankin   Mixing,Engineer
Gavin Lurssen   Mastering