Listening Party!

I need to get the taste of a terrible, terrible movie out of my mouth (stay tuned for THAT rant some time in the near future), so let's do a play by play of the shiny new Raconteurs album, and then have a little rant about Jack White.

Consolers of the Lonely by The Raconteurs

Pre-listening thoughts:

Hey! This album was only announced a week ago! That's pretty decent delivery! And there is no press, advance videos, acoustic singles, or other assorted marketing madness that there was in the zeitgeist that was the first Raconteurs album, Broken Boy Soldiers. How curious! Pitchfork made a good point about the Soldiers, saying that essentially, if this album hadn't been hyped as "Jack White's New Band" then the album itself wouldn't have made it onto many shelves. I believe the press release which states that this blitzkrieg release will allow you to experience the album carte blanche, but I am also recalling the stories of those horrible movies that aren't screened for critics in hopes of avoiding terrible reviews. Time will tell on this one.

Check out that cover art!



Looks like the 70's if you ask me, just in the same way that the art for Icky Thump did. Why are they dressed in period costumes, but still holding electrified instruments? Will the album deal with the theme of old meeting new, as is the case with pretty much every album the White Stripes have put out? And just who is that girl with the birds? And that blindfolded woman?

And the title: Consolers of the Lonely. I don't know why, but I keep thinking of "concierge." I can't find it anywhere, but doesn't Consoler have another meaning? I hope so, because if not, the title is kind of bland. Broken Boy Soldiers was an interesting and memorable spin, but this is just kind of flat. Strangely, both albums feature plural titles (ie/ "Consolers," "Soldiers") and related singular tracks ("Consoler," "Soldier"). Coinkidink? We'll see! Let's cue this bitch up!

Track One: "Consoler of the Lonely"

Hey, it's a casual gathering! Oh wait, there are musicians playing. Did someone just say "ha ha haha?" It seems like Brendan is singing as a normal guy and then Jack comes in as his twisted side. The hook is "I'm bored to tears." I hope this doesn't become an overall theme. The bridge appears to be trying out for the next Guitar Hero. Oh, wait, that's it. It's over. Ok, moving on!

Track Two: "Salute Your Solution"

"Yeah! Alright!" I worry that I'm being forced into enthusiasm, though it is a pretty good riff. Alright, head bobbing now... This is a summer song, a driving song that you and your friends learn the words to and shout at passers-by. Why is it out in dreary old March? More Guitar Hero stuff.

Track Three: "You Don't Understand Me"

Saloon! There's kind of a Bob Dylan piano riff going on. Why am I thinking of Our Lady Peace? Man, these Raconteurs love their back-up vocals! I wish I liked them as much as they did... This song doesn't seem to have much of a melody, or if it does it's not immediate or very catchy... Cool piano breakdown... strange, but interesting piano ending

Track Four: "Old Enough"

VIOLIN?! This is full blown country. Which one of them plays violin? Damn you digital purchasing, I have no way of finding out! Nice harmonies. Ooo! Guitar harmonies as well! Was that a gunshot? Where'd that acoustic come from? This is pretty maximalist. And it all ends in twiddling.

Track Five: "The Switch and the Spur"

Nice opening riff! Hey! Trumpets! Did they use the same guy from the Mexican restaurant? Sounds like the soundtrack to a Western film, very triumphant. Lyrically, it follows that as well (Someone got a snakebite!). Something's happening... A breakdown! buh buh buh buh buh buh buh buh buh buh buh... Jack's "all-over-the-place" soloing... This sounds like the Raconteurs answer to gangster rappers saying "You don't mess with us!" but done as a country song.

Track Six: "Hold Up"

HOLD UP! HOLD UP! HOLD UP! Some nice twiddling at the beginning... lots of talking in the background on this record so far... Oh, there's a pun on Hold up vs holed up, I see... wah-wah pedal? What's up with the party going on in the background? Turn up the ROCK! This will be the one that the audience sings along to. Quite a hook there...

Track Seven: "Top Yourself"

Wow, that's a pretty cold sentiment, Jack... banjo? what? Some nice slide guitar sounds. Religious imagery? Kind of... "Sugar daddy?" Oh Jack... This sounds kind of Rolling Stones-y... Geez, this is an ANGRY song! I'm digging the percussion. More crappy back-up vocals... and fade out on a piano.

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First Half Impressions
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So far, not bad. A lot of interesting sonic stuff going on, and they have REALLY expanded their musical pallet with extra instruments and lots of overdubs. They are making full use of the modern studio set-up, but I wonder if that's a good thing. Their previous album was recorded in an attic if I'm not mistaken, and that lent it a kind of rugged authenticity. A lot of this sound really... washed out. Maybe "glossed over" is a better term? It feels shiny. A little too shiny. One of the things that I've struggled with regarding Broken Boy Soldiers was all the noodling around at the beginning of the songs. On one hand, it's kind of pointless. On the other, it adds a vibe of "We're just hanging out in our attic and this is what happened," which, again, adds to that indefinable "indie" quality of the whole project. This album has had only one episode of noodling so far, but there is a lot (a LOT) of voices in the background. Like at the beginning of a Pink Floyd song, but faster and layered over each other. Odd. There doesn't seem to be too much of a point to it. If the album is about consoling the lonely, why are there so many people around? Is that what lonely people want? Insta-Party? Basically, no one sounds lonely, and no one sounds like they're reaching out to them. They're just kind of milling about.

Ok, on to the second half!

Track Eight: "Many Shades of Black"

Nice chord based riff. And there's that trumpet again. This sounds like a Rilo Kiley song. That trumpet is really prevalent. It kind of sounds like this song could be on a compilation of Christmas favourites or something... something that could be covered, but in a much simpler arrangement, like by The Ramones.... Is that guitar playing up so high just because it's possible? I like the interplay of the piano and guitar. It ends with the words "Go ahead..." why?

Track Nine: "5 on the 5"

YES! I have been waiting for this song having heard it in a live format. It's nice to be able to understand the lyrics (which are pretty solid). Is this a cover? Damn you, lack of liner notes! Where'd that cowbell come from? This sounds Zeppelin-y in it's breakdown. I love the bringin' it home section at the end.

Track Ten: "Attention"

Nice bass riff! About time! Lyrically, didn't we already do this with "Top Yourself?" More cool sonic stuff. Is that a little girl shouting? I think it is! ...Electric duck call? That's a lot of yelling "hey" to no particular effect.

Track Eleven: "Pull This Blanket Off"

More saloon piano. Kind of a drunken sing a long ballad, reminiscent of a livelier "White Moon" from Get Behind Me Satan. Oh, that's it! OK, moving on...

Track Twelve: "Rich Kid Blues"

Nice title. Sounds like the Eagles. This has an indefinable arena rock quality, but more the kind of music you hear when you're waiting in line for popcorn before the hockey game starts. Like the kind of music that's played in an arena, not that rocks an arena. Is this song making fun of rich kids?

Track Thirteen: "These Stones Will Shout"

This really sounds like the Rolling Stones. Is it a tribute? I've got nothing... this just keeps sounding like the Stones.... wow, BAM! There are the Raconteurs, kind of... a repetitive riff, lots of vocals.... And there are the Stones again... Was that a drum stutter? Like a real mistake? That would be refreshing as the drums have been fairly uninteresting so far, so even a mistake adds character.

Track Fourteen: "Carolina Drama"

This sounds like Bob Dylan's "Isis" married to The Beatles "Rocky Raccoon," which is odd, because it's one of Dylan's best songs coupled with one of the Beatles worst. More female backing vocals! Who's doing those? Not a bad tune, overall. Just doesn't sound specifically Raconteur-y. And it ends with a "WwwwoooOOWWWWWooowwwwwwWWWWW."

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Round-Up
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This is a hard one to call. Overall, disappointingly average. I think I understand the cover art now, if they were in fact going for an old-meets-new vibe, they sort of succeeded, though it's more accurate to say it's new-meets-old. They're putting Jack White's signature, and decidedly modern, guitar sound as well as all manner of synths into formats from 30+ years ago, and the fit isn't always snug. The drums, as mentioned above are pretty toned down, especially knowing what Patrick Keeler is capable of. He's a crazy good drummer! So why can't I remember a single thing he's done on this album? Also, it's very obvious that all of the bass riffs were written on guitar. That in and of itself is not such a bad thing, but the guitar plays the exact same riff louder and sharper, drowning out the bass, so what's the point?

Lyrically it's hard to comment, mainly because it's hard to type and pick out lyrics at the same time, but nothing is reaching out and grabbing me. I'll have to give it another listen to get what the boys are trying to say, thematically that is.

It's surprising the level that they took the arrangements to. It's as though they added one thing to a particular track and then said "Yeah, that's great! Let's put that on EVERYTHING!" It was just... too much at times. Sound and fury...

So I don't know... my rating out of ten is a 6.5, and I feel that some people will be harsher. Sigh. It's too bad.

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JACK WHITE RANT
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I think I'm suffering from over-exposure. I'm glad that Jack is enjoying success, but he seems to be spreading himself thin. The lyrics and the way that the music supports them seem to be lacking something lately. In fact, since hearing "White Americans, what? Nothing better to do? Why don't you kick yourself out? You're an immigrant too!" from Icky Thump, I thought that he was going at things too directly. Maybe not directly, but not in an interesting way.

Compare these lyrics from "I Want to Be The Boy to Warm Your Mother's Heart" from Elephant:

I never said I was the heir to a fortune
I never claimed to have any looks
But these kind of things must be important
Because somebody ripped out my page in your telephone book

That sort of lyric conveys so many more things about a person than the above example. It's specific, yet heartfelt whereas the "Icky Thump" lyric is a general statement (I've heard many people make the "You're an immigrant too" argument before), and pointed. But pointed at who? There is no warmth in that remark, and it's too vague to be a rallying cry. There's simply something missing.

I've often thought about what question would I ask Jack White if I got a chance to meet him. I think it would be this: "With such a hurried recording process, and seeing as you have made changes in the past to how songs are played live, do you ever worry that you're not exploring all the possibilities or potential for a song?" I think the question still applies, but I think I might tailor it differently now. More specifically, I'd like to know how much time and care goes into these songs, because they feel pretty empty.

Get Behind Me Satan started a trend for Jack in which he was going to do what he damn well pleased. He's always said that he likes to set up lots of rules for his recording (the famous rule of 3), and he made three great albums following those rules (The White Stripes, De Stijl, White Blood Cells). And then he started breaking those rules on Elephant to great success. So with Satan, he just plain old threw the rulebook away! Good on him, there's no harm in experimentation. Start a four-piece, add a marimba, do what you've got to do!

But now he's recording in major studios, and his latest album is hollow and forgettable. He's essentially falling into the trap that he avoided all those years by following "the rules." Maybe it's freeing to finally have a million tracks to play with, to be able to say "Let's add some more instrument X here," but the product speaks for itself. It's not great. I hate to bail on my super-fandom, but this last album just isn't doing it for me. Frankly, Icky Thump was ok, but it wasn't all that much to write home about either.

I'm not giving up on Jack, but I just wish he'd store up his creativity for a while until he was compelled to create something, rather than just having fun or goofing around. He's got "the power" now to pretty much do whatever he wants, which is kind of what he was avoiding, isn't it? I'll just hope that he moves back into the living room, hooks up the old eight track again, tells Beck that he won't need him today, and gets Meg a-bashing away on that old kit in 4/4 time.