So, I've spent about a week with The Raconteurs debut album, Broken Boy Soldiers, and I finally think I like it -- no, love it. I mean, I tried to come into this with an open mind, but I guess I had already been biased by Steady, as She Goes.
And then I started to hear strong similarities to other bands, and I didn't like it. The song Together (track 5), for instance, is very reminiscent of early Beatles. Well, the Beatles when they were more rock-and-roll and less drug-induced, musical hallucinating, anyway. And I mean that in the good way (I like the Beatles), but it's not a sound I was expecting from Jack White.
When I bought this album, I think I was looking for songs like Store Bought Bones (track 7). Is that because it sounds the most White Stripes-ish? I don't know, but probably. Track 2, Hands, is a decent blend of White Stripes meets Queen meets Rolling Stones sound that makes this album more interesting with each spin.
Oh - and the blues! The blues influence is actually what made me fall in love. The song Blue Veins makes me want to be at a dark club in a whiskey-soaked, cigarette-induced haze.
Ultimately, I would recommend this album (about a billion years late...Because I am so behind (read: square, passe, loserish), it's not even funny). The hype...Well, it's deserved, in my opinion. Was it over-hyped? Probably. Is it the best album of the year? Meh. Probably not. But as you can see from the side-bar, I spent a lot of time listening to it last week.
[Currently Spinning: The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers]
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