Consolers Of The Lonely

The new Raconteurs album is incredible in its layered simplicity. This is Jack White's new band and the album breaks boundaries while still having a familiar feeling to it. The instrumentation mixes modern and traditional styles in a seamless album. I found the debut album "Broken Boy Soldiers" to be a bit weak, not bad, but not terribly memorable. Pick this album up immediately! You will not be disappointed.

Consolers of the Lonely was sprung upon the public a mere three weeks after completion in yet another unorthodox indie music release. The Raconteurs successfully avoided any pre-release media hype/promotion, and got their newest album into everyone's hands (in all formats) at the same time.

Although this could be perceived as a rushed album release, the final product sounds anything but rushed. Simply put, Consolers of the Lonely is what The Raconteurs should have released as their first album. Raw and energetic, with ballsy storytelling done in Jack White's bard-like fashion. Rid yourself of any preconceived notions, because if you're expecting a carbon copy of Broken Boy Soldiers, you'll be disappointed.

With Brendan Benson and Jack White at the songwriting helm, The Raconteurs have merged energy and writing styles in a cohesive yet abrasive album. They've taken a softer version of The Raconteurs and transformed the band into a harder rocking, more in your face reincarnation, with shades of Meg White's "bash and slam" drum style interspersed throughout the album. Besides the strong instrumentals and vocal performances, the backbone of the album resonates from White and Benson's storytelling.

The title track kicks off the album, immediately informing the listeners that The Raconteurs have moved away from the ballad-y nature of their former selves, which is a very welcome evolution. Stepping up the power and rock content truly showcases the talent within the band. "Salute Your Solution" seems to be their first single (and video), as it puts a true garage rock energy exclamation point on the album. Ballads aren't completely absent from the album, as the piano driven "You Don't Understand Me" gives a pleasant tempo and sentiment change within the album. Throughout Consolers of the Lonely, one can hear The Raconteurs' many influences: The Who, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, The Allmans, as well as a bit of traditional country elements.

Broken Boy Soldiers failed to speak to me in the same manner as Consolers. The Raconteurs have combined their respective strengths and released an album which they truly needed to produce. With Consolers of the Lonely, The Raconteurs have transcended the Stripes' shadow and ultimately released an album which has the potential to be one of the albums of the year.

I knew I would be seeing this band at Lollapalooza so I checked them out beforehand. All I knew was that Jack White was in the band, and I had never been a big fan of the White Stripes, but the collaboration with Brenden Benson (the other main singer) and the other musicians turned out to be a godsend! This album is incredible, I haven't stopped listening to it since I bought it nearly a month ago. I highly recommend it to anyone, especially anyone who thinks rock is dead.

Indie supergroup the Raconteurs, consisting of Jack White, Brendan Benson, and the Greenhornes' rhythm section, released Consolers of the Lonely a week before its release, doing away with pretty much any pre-release media hype, and the album's raw, bluesy sound reflects this choice.

Unlike their debut, Broken Boy Soldiers, their latest does away with any attempt at musical exploration, with guitarist White cranking the amp to 11 on every song and the rhythm section running a tight ship. The title track is a refreshing blast of guitar freakout and anthemic drum pounding, and single "Salute Your Solution" only continues to up the energy with a funky bass line and White's wild yelping.

Benson's and White's lyrical matchups populate the lyrics with desperate tales of outlaws and love, and the album's energy refuses to flag, switching from New Orleans-style horn riffs to White Stripes-esque stadium guitar antics to a bouncy harmonica/fiddle solo on "Old Enough." Consolers of the Lonely aims the Raconteurs down a single path paved with simple rock `n roll, and in doing so produces a hell of a lot more fun than they'd ever before recorded.

"COTL" is a fantastic rock record with plenty of grit and a genuine groove in spots. I hear a little of 70s prog-rock in several of the tracks (as if YES did an impromptu pub gig with John Bohnam sitting in). I love the clever tempo shifts and there are plenty of blues-rooted guitar riffs to set the whole thing alight.

I rarely step up to write album reviews but, this one? I dig it, big time!