Not to disappoint those of us who celebrate Nirvana, Led Zeppelin and Queens Of The Stone Age, Them Crooked Vultures’ first self-titled album plays like the blue print for writing a rock album from three men who have done it countless times before. Josh Homme takes most of the lead vocal and guitar work, so for the most part it comes across as great songwriting from Homme with rock music’s greatest rhythm section, John Paul Jones and Dave Grohl, providing a perfect structure in which to build. Except for “Gunman”, an effects-heavy boogie-rocker, there isn’t a dull moment. Utilizing studio theatrics and odd instruments such as a clavinet on “Scumbag Blues”, Them Crooked Vultures just might have written the rock album of 2009. If you don’t pick this one up, you either don’t like rock music or are dead.