The frontman for The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, and The Dead Weather writes and produces the first solo album of his career.
Although this is being billed as the premier solo album from White, fans of The White Stripes and The Raconteurs know he was the driving force behind those bands' albums so the blues-y and roots rock White gives us on this 13-track solo release won't come as a surprise.
Thematically the album covers a wide range of topics from the metaphysical exploration of being comforted by belief in a creator ("Yet of the dark I have no fear/But feel as safe as when 'tis light/For I know God is with me there/And He will guard me through the night" from "On and On and On") to more non-sequitur subjects like the random ideas that might pop into a youth's mind ("Moby Dick is a novel novel and I like skittles/Did you eat that bone?/I'm a happy rabbit and your mother called/on the telephone" from "Freedom at 21").
Despite recently going through a divorce and the brooding, Morrisey-esque album cover (a vulture perched on his shoulder--really?!?), there is a real vibrancy and life to the arrangements and melodies that makes the entire album extremely enjoyable even on the songs with the darker themes.
That is not to say that the album is all fun and good spirits as White's songs can spiral through various emotional states all in the span of a four minute track but White does seem to enjoy making the music on the album and that fun he experienced shines brightly through the myriad of instruments he incorporates--two things that had been missing on White's most recent releases.
Blunderbuss ends up being an aural gem from Jack White where he manages to straddle the line between many polar opposites like happy vs. sad and standard blues melodies vs. funky prog-rock arrangements all with great aplomb. This stellar album has very few faults and is easily White's best solo or group work since the apex of his White Stripes days.
Score: 9/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Missing Pieces" [sample it below], "Love Interruption" and "I'm Shakin'"
Over the years The Dandy Warhols have gone through many changes to their sound from power rock to electro pop with frequent stops in the alt rock genres in between. Now let's find out what kind of music they present to us on their eighth studio album.
This time around they mostly return back to their garage and power rock roots with tracks chock full of prominent electric guitar riffs and other rock instruments featuring heavy compression.
While I can definitely respect a return to one's roots, there is very little creativity to the individual tracks of the album which leads me to think this change was due more to convenience than inspiration as the album as a whole ends up being very tired-sounding.
Overall, there's just not a lot to love or to hate on this album--it is just kinda bland. That album isn't overly boring but, on the flip side, it isn't terribly interesting either. You'll be better off saving your money for a less monotonous album down the road.
Score: 4/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Sad Vacation" [sample it below]
The indie chamber rocking duo from Ohio known for putting on exciting live shows returns with their sophomore studio album.
The 10-track album opens strong with the infectious "Don't Run" which comes across as a more Pop-y version of a The Killers or a Franz Ferdinand song with its catchy guitar and synthesizer refrains that are more likely to get stuck in your head than the hook of the song.
That's followed by the equally fun "Nursery Rhyme" and "If Then." The former follows a more traditional rock format with grittier drums and a crooning style of vocals on the guitar driven track while the latter enchants you from the beginning with its beguiling violin intro in the atmospheric chamber rock song that builds to brilliant crescendo.
Unfortunately, the album's tracks after that blistering three song opening can't sustain the same levels of enjoyment with more generic song writing in the middle of the album that is not able to conjure up the same magic. There's nothing inherently wrong with the middle songs, they just don't sparkle like the tracks at the opening.
Towards the end of the album the band lets go a lot more and the album feels more free by going heavier in the chamber rock direction to great effect. Tracks like the somber ballad "I Turn Around" and the bouncy pop song "Dancing on TV" help bring everything back home after the album loses itself a bit.
The good news is that Bad Veins avoid the sophomore slump on this front loaded album. While not a straight-A student this time around, it's definitely a solid B+ GPA for clever sounding songs and the brilliant incorporation of instruments on the heavy chamber rock tracks.
Score: 8/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Don't Run", "Nursery Rhyme" and "I Turn Around"
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