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Dean Fertita is a workhorse; a mainstay of the Detroit underground scene since the early 90s. From his years of relentless touring as front-man of the criminally under appreciated Waxwings, to his able-bodied accompaniment to friend/cohort Brendan Benson, Fertita has been laying the groundwork for his current prominence. And as if that isn't enough, Fertita was also the invaluable utility-man (keys, guitar, harmonies) on the worldwide touring for the Raconteurs debut album of 2006. Such flexibility and skill made him the first choice for the same position in Queens of the Stone Age in 2007 and led to him being welcomed by Josh Homme into the band as a permanent member. Now, Fertita appears at the forefront of the Dead Weather, the dark rock and roll super-group with Jack White. A lesser soul would blanch at the task of playing guitar in a band with that guy, but Fertita's work on "Horehound" shows he can hold his own, thank you very much. With that, Dean Fertita's first dedicated solo album, "Hello=Fire" is a remarkable example of what the man can do when in full-charge of the ship. Moving from the darkly devil rock "Horehound" to the spacey melodic vein of "Hello=Fire" is part of Fertita's signature versatility, both as a writer and player. With song-writing collaboration from Brendan Benson on half the disc's tracks, the songs brim with insightful lyrics, cunning arrangements and powerful production. That being said, "Hello=Fire" is a rock record through and through.