Consolers Of The Lonely

I like this CD a bit better than the debut Raconteurs disc, though I like them both. It's an interesting departure from Jack's "White Stripes" efforts. Saw them live at Jazz Fest promoting the album as well -- excellent performance.

What more do you expect from a group of rockin' cats like this! Great stuff all the way through!

I have to admit I was concerned that the band would not release a good second album but I was wrong. This is a better album than the first even though Im getting tired of Mr. White. The rest of the band has a lot of talent and makes me curious about their other bands.

As a longtime fan of both Brendan Benson and the White Stripes I have to say when you put them together they make a fantastic record. It's a fantastic mix of both of their styles.
At their best the songs on this album ABSORB you. The writing as well as the melody and variety of sound is completely astounding.
(Also, diggin' the banjo on Top Yourself.)
(That's all I'm gonna say, as others have gone into much detail.)

Jack White and friends are back with another jam-packed album, and it is packed full of jams! Yes barely 2 years after the release of Broken Boy Soldiers they give us fourteen full length tracks with nary a runt in the bunch. Their second album brings back the rock born on BBS and they appear to be more confident, shedding the pop-hooks that made Steady as She Goes such a mainstream hit.

While the first two songs could have come right off of a White Stripes album, Songs like `Old Enough' and `Top Yourself' demonstrate how a slide guitars and violins fit into a rock album really exemplifying the groups ability to bring country elements together with White's rock sensibilities in a way that doesn't sound overdone or out of place.

While the third cut is a bit slower in pace, you have to get pretty deep into the album for `Many Shades of Black' which is a bit of a crooner. That said, the horns bring in a depth not found on many of the bare-bones tracks by this minimalist quartet. Even a throwback to the Doors phrase "Take it as it comes" kicks off in the chorus, as the victim of the song pleas to get out of the roller coaster that he's been riding on lamenting that "Everybody sees, and everyone agrees, that you and I are wrong, and it's been that way too long."

Not a gang to stay blue too long, the very next track is one of the fastest rockers on the album. The song, `Five on the Five', brings a bit more grunge than most of the material found here, and it's followed by another straight out rocker `Attention' which will make you forget that 5 minutes ago you were crying the blues.

Overall, it's a great taste of neuvo-vintage rock that seems to find JW steadily in control as usual, but with so many songs, there's plenty of spotlight for the other main man, Brendan Benson to share. I think this album is equally good as their first, which is a major achievement for any band.

-thanks for reading!-