Queens of the Stone Age have released a new song called "Insignificant Other", taken from their upcoming album Perfecth. This song sounds like somebody put a rock band inside a smoky hotel bar at two in the morning and told them to keep playing until everybody went home. I absolutely love the atmosphere.

The track feels surprisingly funky. There is a really nice bass groove running underneath everything, with electric guitar and piano filling out the arrangement. It actually reminds me slightly of "Miss You" by The Rolling Stones, except everything has been dragged through the desert and made considerably darker. I saw other listeners making that comparison as well, so at least I know I am not completely losing my mind.

Josh Homme sounds great here. His vocal delivery feels relaxed and almost elegant compared with some of the band's heavier material. That contrast really suits the track because nothing needs to scream for attention. The bass sits there doing its thing, the guitars drift in and out, and the vocals glide over everything.

One fascinating thing I discovered is that the recording apparently comes from only the second take. That makes a lot of sense when listening to how loose everything feels. I am always fascinated by recordings like that because you can spend months making something technically perfect and still lose whatever magical thing happened when the musicians first played together. There are tiny moments here where it sounds like everyone is listening to everyone else rather than simply playing their assigned part.

The bridge is probably my favourite section. The track becomes considerably more emotional without suddenly turning into some enormous rock climax. There is this feeling of accepting that somebody who used to mean everything to you has simply disappeared from your life. It is quite a sad concept, but the groove underneath almost makes the sadness feel strangely comfortable.

I have seen quite a few listeners praising this smoother direction, although some people understandably miss the heavier Queens of the Stone Age sound. Personally, I think there is still plenty of the band's identity here. The guitars still have that dusty quality and the atmosphere is slightly threatening even when everything sounds relaxed. It reminds me a little of the later Arctic Monkeys records, but with more dirt underneath the fingernails.

The upcoming album is called Perfecth, intentionally spelled incorrectly, with the idea apparently being that perfection does not really exist. That philosophy actually fits this song wonderfully. Keeping a loose second take rather than polishing every tiny imperfection away feels completely appropriate.

"Insignificant Other" is smooth, strange and incredibly easy to get lost inside. Put this on late at night with the lights turned down and I think you will understand exactly what they were going for. Fantastic track!

Author: Peter Källman

Peter Källman is a writer from Sweden who loves playing in bands, writing reviews and going to live shows!