Jack White will go down in history as one of the twenty-first century’s most engaging rock-stars. With The White Stripes we’ve have six albums from a band that have refused to stagnate, and in turn have become the finest live act of this generation. There’s been the colours, the importance of the number 3, the brother-sister debate, to Von Bondie beating, and even a spot of star-fucking to boot. All of this could perhaps detract from the music, were it not so inspired.
THE RACONTEURS were, however, deep down a disappointment on their first outing. There were some great songs on their debut – ‘Broken Boy Soldiers’ – but overall, it was a little too straight down the line. It was beneath what you’d expect from Jack White. Live they were amazing – Brendan Benson has grown as a performer through being in The Raconteurs, and they experimented onstage and showed the innovation that has made Mr White so well loved. They transformed the songs from rock standards into chaotic jams, and they were much more rewarding onstage than they were recorded. In short, The Raconteurs had potential, but it was hard to see how they would live up The White Stripes.
A bold move, then, to announce the release of their second album only a week before it was released, refusing all press and demanding that the music speak for itself. Another ‘pretty good’ album just wouldn’t do. Lucky for The Raconteurs, then, that ‘Consolers of the Lonely’ is a storming release. Compared to the first album, it’s energetic, creative and genuinely fascinating. They always had the pop songs – there really were some classics on their debut – but it just lacked a certain spirit.
The title track from the album kicks things off with some truly diabolical lyrics – “Haven’t seen the sun in weeks, my skin is getting pale, haven’t got a mind left to speak, and I’m skinny as a rail.” It gets better from here – it’s an awkward blues rock song, which moves awkwardly between the vocals of the seemingly helpless Brendan Benson (faced paced, straightforward rock-tune), and the menacing Jack (complete with sinister slowed down blues and skittish vocals). It’s interesting, and it works really well displaying perhaps the influences that the two singers each bring to the band.
An early stand out track is ‘Salute Your Solution,’ which a frenetic tune, like ‘Blue Orchid’ with a full band behind it. The frenetic vocals, solid bass-line and the refrain of “I got what I got all despite you, I get what I get just to spite you” will get stuck in your head just as easily as ‘Steady As She Goes.’
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It would appear that it’s obvious to see which songs are Jack’s and which are Brendan’s. ‘You Don’t Understand Me’ and ‘Old Enough’ are Beatles-style pop tunes, and have Brendan written all over them. ‘Many Shades of Black’ is the antidote to Benson’s ‘The Pledge,’ the opposite of glowing platitudes, this is a pragmatic look at an insignificant relationship, an idea perhaps best told in a simple indie-pop song, something that he excels at.
And then there are the expanded White Stripes tracks. ‘Hold Up’ is exactly the sort of song you’d expect from Jack White playing with a full band. It’s the sound of a rock band having fun just being a rock band, whilst not being run of the mill. It’s studied the rules and subverted them ever so slightly. ‘Five on the Five’ picks up where ‘Conquest’ left off. It’s loud, the vocals are challenging and although it sounds like classic rock, it also sounds that little bit different. That sums up the album, really – like a familiar tale being told in a new and exciting way. And most effectively in album closer, ‘Carolina Dream’, Jack becomes raconteur for real in singing a dark little tale in which everyone ends up dead, drunk or miserable.
The keyboards have become integral to The Raconteurs sound, it would seem. The drumming is solid throughout the album – you’d never say it was remarkable, but it’s definitely more intricate than Meg’s usual job. The album has a live feel to it, so it would seem that the band have learned from their touring experience a couple of years ago. They have clearly highlighted the good aspects of the band and expelled it effectively on this varied and truly interesting album. It’s rhythm and blues revisited, respected and then twisted just a little.
It’s a bold statement that this is by no means a side project, and this time it seems likely that people will be taking The Raconteurs very seriously.
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