The Raconteurs: Broken Boy Soldiers
OK. Now, I know when The Raconteurs info started to surface a year or so ago, many people immediately called into question the existence of The White Stripes. It was said that Mr. Jack White was moving on musically, and it was assumed that Megan and Jack would finish up their tour in support of Get Behind Me Satan, and call it a day. However, Jack white very quickly laid to rest any concerns regarding the future of the Stripes, by firmly announcing that The Raconteurs were not a slide project, they were a separate entity all together, as well as saying the same was true for The White Stripes, and that both bands would continue on as separate projects, alongside one another...
That's a damn good thing too, because watching Mr. Jack jump between both, and maintain such an intense work ethic, and personal standards, is truly amazing. Not to mention his band mates in the new band: Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler, who bring a very unique blend of garage/folk/blues/rock/country/cabaret and others into the mix. As these musicians are friends, and have been for a long while, as well as working with each other, touring together (Patrick Keeler and Jack Lawrence are in a band from Ohio together called 'The Greenhornes', who were the primary openers for many of the Stripes' shows on the Get Behind Me Satan tour, and Brendan Benson, who has had a very successful solo career in the realm of folk, toured with both bands, written a song that appeared on the Japanese release of The Stripes 'Elephant' in 2003.), as well as collaborating on many other projects. And you know what the best thing is about all of this?
...It shows on the recording.
'Broken Boy Soldiers' is a fusion of everything 'holy' about everyone involved. The record pulls you through a very interesting tunnel, with many twists and turns in between. These guys are tighter than a drum, and it shows. The fluidity of the music is strong, and considering the fact that so many genres are explored, that says something. Each instrument is highlighted throughout the album and given fair shot, while complementing everything else that is going on.
The first single and first track on the record 'Steady As She Goes', gives a very interesting insight into the rest of the effort, as we hear a piece with undoubtedly a Benson undertone, sung by Jack White. The transfer is seamless and more than believable. This theme carries through as we see the two songwriters (Benson and White) feed off each other and coupled with Keeler and Lawrence keeping things honest, you can't go wrong with this.
Each song is crafted as a story and presented like one too... A very colourful story that shows a side of all involved that is new and surprising; there are the country waltzes, the garage mosaics, and the smoke-filled bluesy numbers... You name it... It's here.
By the time I got to "Blue Veins" (the song closing the album), I was a very happy man, and after "Blue Veins", I was happier still. It has been said that the last song on a record is the most critical, as it's the final impression... I unfortunately, was not afforded a last impression, as the last song is so good, it caused my brain to spontaneously combust.
Will you like this record? Well that depends. That depends on what's important to you. If commercial/top 40 viability is important, then... I would suggest considering other options. If you want something as deep as the grand canyon and is so well written, produced and arranged that it'll make your head spin, and you're looking for something that is wonderfully eclectic and obscure... Then... This album should have been in your collection yesterday.
I am almost frightened to see what these fine gentlemen will come up with next.
3 reviews 