by Rock & Roll Ghost
The Raconteurs – “Pull This Blanket Off”
The Raconteurs’ debut from 2006, Broken Boy Soldiers, was not my cup of tea overall. Aside from a handful of songs (“Level”, “Intimate Secretary”, “Hands”), I was extremely underwhelmed from Jack White’s project outside of The White Stripes. But with Consolers of the Lonely, I’m fully on board (though it would appear that those that were with them then aren’t necessarily so now) and flying the band’s flag high. The album is a slam dunk in terms of great, rocking fun. Not all of it works, but the album is far bolder and less constricted than the previous release and the vibe on an album is half the battle, in my opinion.
Song after song hammers away and flies by with little care but never without an extreme sense of mastery. This is a loose record, thrown off by skilled pros with a bizarre balance of caring and not. There’s plenty of flubs, miscues and general no-nos in today’s music business. But it’s in the rough edges that the album’s brilliance shines through. The band doesn’t take itself seriously and in doing so, they’ve captured something unique and real.
“The Switch and the Spur” is an engaging romp with horn arrangements by The Memphis Horns and features a blazing guitar solo towards the middle and a rousing chorus. While “Five On the Five” is an aggressive, fast-paced rocker with White’s vocals staying one step ahead of the pounding rhythms and blazing guitars. “Pull This Blanket Off” is as great a bluesy rock number as The Faces of The Rolling Stones ever made, with the sort of guitar parts and piano playing that pierces a rock fan’s heart. And “Carolina Drama”, along with his work on Loretta Lynn’s last album, makes me think that White has a great country album in his future if he decides to go solo.
If you’re looking for a rock album lacking any sense of pretentious airs about it, you cannot go wrong with The Raconteurs’ Consolers of the Lonely.
Choice Cuts: The Switch and the Spur, Five On the Five, Pull This Blanket Off, Carolina Drama
