After 11 years of working as a solo artist and
collaborating on other projects, Detroit’s Jack White and Brendan Benson return
as The Raconteurs with an excellent new album of focused garage rock and multilayered
sounds and textures that range from electronic to folk and country, but with only
one true ballad (the closer, “Thoughts and Prayers”). At 12 songs in 41 minutes,
the self-produced, Help Us Stranger, delivers enough variety to satisfy
an album-length listening experience without dwelling on any one tone for too
long.
Singer/guitarist/songwriters, White and Benson, friends from their early days in the Detroit music scene of the late ‘90s, formed The Raconteurs with bassist, Little Jackie Lawrence, and drummer, Patrick Keeler, both also former members of Ohio garage rock combo, The Greenhornes, during a break from his main project, The WhiteStripes, and after working with the rhythm section during a recent album recording with the legendary Loretta Lynn (Van Lear Rose). While they have often featured their country, bluegrass, and folk chops as much as their ability to rock, the new collection of songs focuses much more on rock, or rock fused with electronic elements and effects, than their previous record, 2008’s Consolers of the Lonely.
Singer/guitarist/songwriters, White and Benson, friends from their early days in the Detroit music scene of the late ‘90s, formed The Raconteurs with bassist, Little Jackie Lawrence, and drummer, Patrick Keeler, both also former members of Ohio garage rock combo, The Greenhornes, during a break from his main project, The WhiteStripes, and after working with the rhythm section during a recent album recording with the legendary Loretta Lynn (Van Lear Rose). While they have often featured their country, bluegrass, and folk chops as much as their ability to rock, the new collection of songs focuses much more on rock, or rock fused with electronic elements and effects, than their previous record, 2008’s Consolers of the Lonely.
The first side is strong and moves briskly from the
opening rocker, “Bored and Razed” and the current single, “Help Me Stranger” to
the acoustic pop of “Only Child”, the heavy rock of “Don’t Bother Me” (one of album’s
best tracks), and a blend of both on “Shine the Light on Me”. Benson and White
trade off singing lead and taking the lead songwriting duties from track to
track, but Benson’s “Somedays” closes down the first half of the album with an
aching personal reflection and determination that help his songs stand out among his contemporaries, to say the least. White adds soaring and speedy guitar fills and solos to most songs, reminding everyone of his amazing proficiency on his primary instrument.
The second side begins with a fun rip through a cover of Donovan’s
“Hey Gyp” and then into the double A-side single the band released last year to
precede and tease the album, the rocking “Sunday Driver” and the moodier, “Now
That You’re Gone”. The faster, “Live a Lie”, roars by with more stinging lyrics
from Benson before White’s final thoughts on “What’s Yours Is Mine” and the closing
ballad, “Thoughts and Prayers”, which asks difficult and reflective questions
aloud in a song rather than in a diary or a personal discussion. The raw
honesty often included in The Raconteurs’ lyrics is one of the many elements
that have connected them to a loyal and patient audience that can only be happy
to both enjoy this excellent collection of new songs and to finally have another
chance to catch the band live. In a time where straight ahead rock albums are
few and far between, Help Us Stranger reminds us all how powerful guitars,
vocals, and drums can be, and maybe the next wave of guitar music is just
around the corner.
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