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no, it is not tubthumping by that musical footnote to a footnote, Chumbawumba (ok, so thumping isn't exactly the same as thump, but its close enough, I'm an English teacher, leave me alone.)(can you tell I've been waiting eagerly to toss that into conversation?). Anyway, "Icky Thump," the sixth album by the glorious Post-Detroit, Neo-Nashville duo known to their adoring fans simply as The White Stripes, is, as I previously said about the first single off the new album by the same name, quite possibly better than sex. A little extreme, maybe, but the album is still pretty remarkable. Following up the well reviewed, but tenatively received "Get Behind Me Satan," "Thump" is proof that not only can Jack White do no wrong, you onder why so many other bands don't follow his lead. White makes the albums and songs he wants to make. Pop sensibilities, pressure by suits, even pressure to continue his legacy as an innovative musician, just seem to slide off of this guy. In the ninth track, "Rag and Bone" Meg and Jack half sing, half talk about finding terrific odds and ends at a rummage sale. While the song might cause many to pause and think "what is this guy doing?" The spirit of the song could personify the very reason Jack's stuff works. This album, infused with Jack's signature Son House/Jimmy Page guitar riffs and his bluesy scream, also features bagpipes and spanish horns, yes, spanish horns. "Conquest," while not written by White, has all the flair of a Robert Rodriguez film soundtrack, with all the theatrics and cohones to match. The combined "Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn" and "St. Andrew (This Battle is in the Air)" could find its way playing at your favourite Irish Pub, while "Little Cream Soda" is (as a friend of mine so eloquently put it) "Sounds like early Metallica...but its good!"
Jack's spirit of forced constraints have been thrown out the window on this album. Boasting the longest recording time (still only a mind blowing three weeks) of any of their albums, as well as the most diverse song list, this album is an oddity. You can go from hard rocking, industrial psychadelia, to darkly themed pop melodies, to songs you classify under "What was that?" An album this seemingly chaotic could spell disaster for somebody less talented than White, but when you create music without the pressure to create your own meaning through your creation (a paraphrase from an NPR interview Jack gave in which he showed his Catholic upbringing by saying anything he ever created musically would pale in comparison to the creation of the world, so there was no pressure to out-do something that can't be outdone). When you aren't concerned with your musical legacy, or creaing your own Led Zeppelin IV or White Album, you have the creative freedom to do whatever you want. When the music you want to create is brilliant, and flows freely out of you like drool from this fan-boys mouth over this album, its simply a good thing. I don't want to put a disclaimer like "This album isn't for everyone," because, honestly, if you don't like this album you are missing so much joy. For those that follow Jack's career, this album is no surprise, but if you are just a casual listener, absorb this album. Just one disclaimer: Do NOT listen to "Conquest" while driving, a speeding ticket will probably ensue.
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| | Posted 6/22/2007 11:18 PM - 19 Views - 4 eProps - 4 comments
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