I always preferred The Raconteurs to The White Stripes, and if I’m being honest here, I actually prefer The Dead Weather to either of those. Jack White reminds me of Johnny Depp. He might be talented, but he definitely thinks he’s more talented than he is, and when people leave him to his own devices, we end up with weird rap tracks, gospel choruses, and country music. Jack White is easily at his best, when he is allowed to do the least, which is probably why Help Us Stranger, the latest album by The Raconteurs, is so successful.
Jack White isn’t even at the forefront of this record, that would be vocalist Brendan Benson. The result is a streamlined, largely old school rock album that sees White returning to what made him a rock legend in the first place- his sick guitar solos.
I actually can’t really recall any specific lyrics that stood out among the 12 track record, but that’s ok, Jack Whites strong suit was never the lyrics, it was the guitar riffs. “Seven Nation Army”, The White Stripes most famous single was a headbanger because of its instrumentals. I’m not even sure what the song was about.
The standout here is really “Sunday Driver”, a single that seems ideally suited to live performance. I can just see the audiences moshing as Jack White shreds on his guitar. It’s a relief really, I thought Jack White was lost to organ grinding and bongo solos. Thank god someone stopped him before it was too late.
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