Here’s one we didn’t see coming: The Raconteurs went into the studio early this month, took a week to record a new album, rushed it to press and quietly announced it a week before its release. It came out today, available everywhere - but due to the secrecy and speed of its release you won’t find a review of the new raconteurs album anywhere… except here.

Who are the Raconteurs?

In case you missed the memo, The Raconteurs are a supergroup side project of Jack White and Brenden Benson, with Patrick Keeler and Jack Lawrence of The Greenhornes rounding out the lineup on bass and drums.

They first came on the scene in 2006 with their critically acclaimed (and universally beloved) debut, Broken Boy Soldiers. You’ve surely heard the tracks - “Steady, As She Goes“, “Broken Boy Soldier” etc. became instant hits.

Short Review of Consolers of the Lonely

Fans of Broken Boy Soldiers will not be disappointed - though they may be a little surprised. While still definitely the same band, this time around The Raconteurs have downplayed their pop rock sensibilities for something a little wider in range.

If Broken Boy Soldiers was a tribute to various styles of pop rock then look at this one as an homage to various American music traditions. We’ve got blues, jazz, country, bluegrass - even a bit of Mexican-style brass-driven flamenco. I almost see this as a concept album - a tour de force of Aural Americana. That means that the songs don’t necessarily have all that much in common; each seems to be doing its own thing within its own context. Nevertheless, thanks to the inimitable White’s guitar and Benson’s wonderful keyboard and vocals, each track is decidedly a Raconteurs production.

Like any disc, this one has hits and it has misses - but when it hits, it really hits. The ballads in particular capture the essence of their subjects - “The Switch and the Spur” and “Carolina Drama” are remarkable executions of southwest folk and American gothic, respectively. The lively “Old Enough” is enough to make you want to dance, and “Hold Up” plays like a party raging around you.

Where Consolers of the Lonely falls short, in my opinion, is around the third quarter of the disc. There are a few tracks - “Top Yourself,” “Many Shades of Black,” “Five on the Five” - that strike me less as innovative homage than trite cliche. I feel like blues and sad love songs have been done to death, especially with Jack White’s guitar raging around them - so, at least on this listen, these tracks slowed me down and brought me out of it.

The album concludes stunningly, though, with “Rich Kid Blues” and “Carolina Drama” easily being some of the more compelling songs I’ve heard in a while. If this sounds like something you’d like, feel free to stop reading here and go buy it.

But if you’re interested, keep reading and I’ll give you my own thoughts on a track-by-track basis.

Consolers of the Lonely: Tracklist and Extended Commentary

Readers of my previous reviews know I like to include a comprehensive track-by-track look at the discs I write about. This one is going to be no exception - but as I’m only listening to this disc for the second time I can’t promise any insights. Hell, I can’t even find any lyrics or YouTube vids posted anywhere yet! Nevertheless, here we go.

1. Consoler of the Lonely - The singular-tensed title track opens with a portrait of cabin-fever - Benson croons:
   

   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.

   Then we some heavy guitar riffs and a sinister sounding Jack White offering compassion and “something good to eat” - the whole thing comes across as unsavory but potent, and I’m frustrated by my inability to understand half of what White sings. All in all it’s a solid opening track with some hard rock, White Stripes-eque guitar stylings and amusing vocals. It also showcases the drums and bass in a way that maybe gets downplayed in most of their stuff - that throbbing bass line keeps the song moving between bursts of passion. (Listen Here)

2. Salute Your Solution - The first single from this disc, it picks up immediately where the previous track left off and starts sprinting. This one takes the bluesy elements of the last track and turns them into a more garage-rock style burst of energy. Again, there’s an emphasis on drums and bass that maybe wasn’t there in the last album. I don’t have much to say about this one yet. (Listen Here)
3. You Don’t Understand Me - The third track opens with a down-tempo count and then some syncopated piano. We’ve got a bit of unsatisfying relationship stuff going on - White sings the main verses here, while Benson carries the chorus.
   

   You don’t understand me,
   but if the feeling was right you might comprehend me.
   Why do you feel the need to tease me?
   Why don’t you turn it around? It might be easier to please me.

   It’s a slow and pretty song - lyrically it’s optimistic and compromising in spite of the problems it’s addressing. This is almost a reversal of the frequently hostile lyrics in their first disc - whereas “Call it a Day” was about giving up, this one is about working through it.

   Musically, too, it’s brilliant - there’s some wonderful piano going on throughout the track, sort of honky-tonk jazz stuff that never quite takes over but never lets you forget it’s there. Overall a very well-produced, solid track - possibly a future single?

4. Old Enough - Continuing the tour de force of American music styles, here we’ve got a folksy, almost bluegrass tune. Driven by pleasant vocals, ironic lyrics and a fiddle that insists on coming along for the ride, this track is a considerable upper after the last few. It almost makes you want to get up and dance along.
   

   You look pretty in your fancy dress
   but I detect unhappiness
   You never speak so I have to guess -
   You’re not free.

   The lyrics speak to a teenage girl who resents her lack of freedom in life - and the freedom and happy-go-lucky joy of the music hint at the wonders that life has in store for her when she’s “old enough.”

5. The Switch and the Spur - The brass that kicks in 10 bars into this track give it something of a flamenco sound - and it works. It’s a story about an outlaw on the run, hiding out in the desert. I’m not sure, but it sounds like he’s bitten by a rattlesnake and dies alone, refusing to let go of his horse’s reins. Something about it reminds me the last White Stripes disc, Icky Thump - maybe it’s the sort of odd narrative quality, maybe it’s the almost eastern-sounding guitar distortions. In any case, it’s a lot of fun - especially the lyric breakdown towards the end:
   

   Any poor souls who trespass against us,
   Whether it be beast or man,
   Will suffer the bite or be stung dead on sight
   By those who inhabit this land.

   For theirs is the power
   And this is their kingdom
   As sure as the sun does burn -
   So enter this path,
   But heed these four words:
   “You Shall Never Return.”

6. Hold Up - Oddly distorted screaming slowly coalesces into the song’s title being repeated over some pop-rock guitar stylings. There’s a background vocal track that permeates the whole song that sounds like a large group of people talking over drinks. The excitement of the track is palpable. Yep, there’s no doubt: this is a party song.
   

   Friends took me to a freak show,
   but I think I seen it all before -
   Can I get a look at you girl?
   Maybe take a peek in your world?

   Don’t miss Jack White just showing off on guitar - the solos and the vocals and the chorus and everything are all just sort of mixed together and spit out over an energetic bass. It’s like a stereo party in your headphones - young and energetic and full of life. Works for me.

7. Top Yourself - “Top Yourself” slows it down a bit and brings back the blues riffs - we’ve got syncopated blues guitar with what sounds like either a banjo or some careful finger-picked guitar in the background.
   

   How you gonna top yourself
   when there is nobody else?
   How you gonna do it by yourself
   Cuz I’m not gonna be here to help you.

   The song drives forward and puts together a few interesting sounds, but I’ll be damned if I know what he’s talking about. If the last album is any indication then this track will just click in a subsequent listening but right now it’s not really doing anything for me. Something about an evil woman ripping apart Jack White’s soul. Yeah, yeah. (Listen Here)

8. Many Shades of Black - If the last track was White’s This-Relationship-Is-Getting-Me-Down Blues, I guess this one is Benson’s. It’s slow, it’s sad, it’s self-indulgent and honestly it’s not very interesting to me. It’s a breakup song about a relationship that probably should have ended a while back. Musically it’s not doing much interesting - but I suppose that’s only relative to the rest of the album. It’s got this orchestral/pop/blues aesthetic with a bit of brass in the background - the effect is a bit melodramatic for my tastes, but I wouldn’t call it bad. Check it out, you might like it!
9. Five on the Five - I’m not sure how to describe this one. Big guitars, simple percussion, driving bass - it reminds me of something, but I can’t tell what. Maybe a ’70s action movie theme song? It’s got this thing going on that’s on the tip of my brain but for the life of me I dunno what to say about it. It’s a solid effort and - if this makes sense - an aesthetic that I almost expected on an album that seems to be doing a tour of American music. It’s like some kind of punk almost but put through some heavy blues production? I dunno, is this The Raconteurs‘ take on punk? It’s too melodic but I think the spirit is there. Anyway, yeah - sorry if this wasn’t too insightful. Give it a listen and tell me what you think in the comments below, eh?
10. Attention - “Attention” opens with some distorted bass and drums - and then layers on some bubble-gum pop guitar. It’s kind of an odd effect - it’s like the top half of the song doesn’t quite fit with the bottom at first, but the two slowly work towards a fusion. I can’t say I like it - so far the second half of this album has kind of put me off. This one grew on me before the end but it still hasn’t clicked.Very much riff-driven guitar with a lot of effects - is this “Raconteurs do the 80s?” I dunno, I’m going to go with that while admitting that my “This album is a concept album exploring different musical styles” paradigm may not necessarily be useful. It’s kind of a silly track, though, and I’m not sure what else to say.
11. Pull This Blanket Off - Alt-country at its finest - this actually reminds me quite a bit of Van Lear Rose, White’s collaboration with Loretta Lynn. It’s short (less than two minutes) and playful if sad - all in all I like it.
12. Rich Kid Blues - This is actually one of the more interesting tracks on this disc, musically. Lyrically, it’s an ironic look at the blues.
    

    Been having bad times,
    And I’ve been paying dues.
    Got shoes and money, and good friends, too.
    Always playing to win,
    And always seem to lose -
    That’s why I think I got a rich kid’s blues.

    I can’t tell how tongue-in-cheek this is meant to be.

    But musically, oddly enough, it seems to be channeling Styx of all things. The chorus sounds like Come Sail Away, but the verses are all kind of interesting - there are various styles at play here. I’m not sure what else to say about it just now but I actually really liked it.

13. These Stones Will Shout - This one sounds almost like a mellow, acoustic Led Zepplin song. I assume it’s a love song, but I’m past the point where I can take in all the music and all the lyrics and still spit out a meaningful commentary. It’s pleasant, though - it’s folksy, comfortable, if not quite friendly.
    

    Speak to me and don’t speak softly,
    Talk to me and let me know.
    Grab hold of my shoulder and tell me -
    Grab hold and do not let go.

    It’s got this whole Tall Tales thing going on, too, like the rest of the album - it’s steeped in the larger-than-life imagery.

14. Carolina Drama - This one is dark, but also sort of darkly funny. It’s a blues ballad about a 10 year old boy who wakes up one morning to see his mom’s “3-time loser” boyfriend killing a priest. There’s a beautiful violin-and-vocal breakdown in place of a chorus every few verses, then the demonic blues guitar returns as this evil act unfolds.
    

    Now Billy knew but never actually met the Preacher lying there in the road.
    He heard himself say “Well that must be my daddy,”
    Then he knew what he was gonna do.
    Billy got up enough courage to get up and grab the first blunt thing he could find.
    It was a cold glass bottle of milk that got delivered every morning at nine…”

    I won’t mince words: this track is gorgeous. Lyrically it’s a compelling story, but musically it’s transcendent. The way the angelic chorus fades in and out of the action, the way the background vocals build to an insane crescendo, the way the guitar helps you hang on every single word - with this track I feel like I understand exactly what they’re doing. It’s brilliantly successful, a perfect portrait of American gothic - the sort of stuff Nick Cave usually does, but without the layers of inaccessibility.

Phew. If you read all that, thanks for bearing with me - once you get the album, please (and I mean it, please!) come back and let us know what you thought. If the last album is any indication, my tastes for the tracks are going to jump around over time. We’ll see what I think about this review in six months!

This article is crossposted here at ListenInMusic.com - check ‘em out!

This article is copyright 2008 for Mykola Bilokonsky. If you want to link me or quote me, great - but please use attribution. If you’d like to reproduce this somewhere, just ask me and I’m sure I’ll let you. Don’t forget to check out my other reviews on Newsvine.

*Editor’s note: Listen Here links to YouTube deleted per takedown notice from Warner Bros.

• Share This:
  
  • Subscribe
  • Blinklist
  • Bloglines
  • Blogmarks
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Furl
  • Ma.gnolia
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati