When this album was first announced a few months ago, someone from NME.com said something along the lines of 'this is the greatest rock album since Nirvana's Nevermind'. Wow, massive statement, but coming from NME these days outlandish statements have no credibility. On any normal day Jack White is an amazing blues and rock musician, he has the guitar skills, the voice, and the crazy white boy attitude of Detroit. Throw in a similar music veteran Brendan Benson and add a little bit or rollicking country spice with two of the boys from The Greenhornes (Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler) and you get a true rock 'super group' of sorts, with the potential perhaps to live up to NME's claims.
*Special Note* The Raconteurs are called The Saboteurs in Australia
This album can almost be divided into two types of songs, and while both Jack White and Brendan Benson share vocals on this album, I prefer to split them into the more Rock tracks and the more slow country influenced tracks.
If you haven"t heard
Steady As She Goes yet you probably have no ears. It"s been played a lot on all sorts or radio stations and music video shows and for good reason, it"s an awesome track. The thrashing guitars and Jacks vocal work are both as excellent as you would expect, but you can add in some nice key work, and most importantly, drums. People who don"t like the White Stripes base this opinion often on Megs drumming, but she"s got nothing to do with the album and you have Keeler who can do a fill, and do them well.
Store Bought Bones is probably the most (if only) White Stripeish track on the album, and it has an awesome little solo and general vibe.
Broken Boy Soldiers is another fairly damn right awesome track and is definately a highlight.
Of the slower songs, you can tell some are more influenced by The Greenhornes end of The Raconteurs.
Intimate Secretary, Yellow Sun and Hands all stand out, but they don"t stand out by much as the whole disc is great. Swear word starting with F great.
I know this reviews a little lose and doesnt have a great deal of detail, but I almost feel as though this album doesn"t need it. You listen to it once, and all you want to do is play it again, and that is the key to a great album.
And does this album live up to the Nevermind claim? Well, I don"t think it is as "influential" Nevermind was, but it is definitely a better album music wise. This is going to be one of the great albums of 2006, and hopefully they go live in a big way.
