you can't buy what you can't find. it's monsoon season in the northeast, and we're still riding a wave of new music into the summer. but don't worry, toaster has an extra pair of floaties. here's a quick review, while the noise is still pertinent.


The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers
V2 Records/Third Man

so Jack White [of the White Stripes], in his downtime, has come up with this new band. don't call them a side project; they're far from that. Jack had publicly promised that he wouldn't abandon Meg, but in an interview he then went on to say that right now he's doing what feels right, and that is The Raconteurs. so we'll see where his career ends up taking him.

Broken Boy Soldiers is not the White Stripes. Jack has joined with Brendan Benson, Patrick Keeler, and Jack Lawrence to form this amalgamation of classic rock, blues, and a bit of a Beatles spunk. with a fellow songwriter in Brendan Benson, the music is more coherent, more structured, and tighter than anything the White Stripes have produced. where Meg had [has] little musical experience or training, the rhythm section is solid. the guitar riffs are reminiscent of classic rock, with driving distortion and tight vocal harmonies over the top. the title track, Broken Boy Soldier, has the flavor of Deep Purple meets the Middle East. the closer, Blue Veins, has a southern blues rock flair that is also persistent throughout many other songs on the short, thirty-four minute and fifteen second album. as the lead-off single, Steady As She Goes is driving and catchy but still different from almost anything else you're hearing on the radio right now. there is definitely a nice flow to the album; you'll find yourself in the same laid back groove throughout the course of Broken Boy Soldiers, from the first snare hits to the driving 80s guitars and synth overtones to the counter melodies and signature Jack White falsetto lines. quite the accomplishment from the man in the two-piece outfit that plowed its way into the mainstream with its simple drum beats and catchy hooks.

Pitchfork's review
buy it from Amazon  alexander  12:48 AM  |  view comments (0)