The second album from Jack White’s new band The Raconteurs or as he calls it his family of “troubadours and storytellers” is called Consolers of the Lonely. The Raconteurs consist of Brendan Benson singer-songwriter, guitar and vocals Jack White, bassist Jack Lawrence and drummer Patrick Keeler. It seems that White has found a home with The Raconteurs and the Consolers of the Lonely. The album comes out as five guys in a studio jamming and having some good old-fashioned fun. The album covers a myriad of styles, its like each musician owns a pallet that’s overflowing with colors and it is always accessible. The styles range from dirty garage and over the top classic rock to country and folk flute. There are also pianos that greatly expand on Broken Boy Soldiers’ (their previous album) offerings. White and Benson trade riffs and vocals in a call and response style that mimics an argument. Both front men feed other each other’s energy throughout the whole album.
Their cohesion enables the telling of some compelling stories like a classic Maruichi western hybrid “Switch and the Spur” that competes with the best on Icky Thump. In the closing line, a lyrical highpoint, they chant like two preachers on the street corner, “any pour 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 the land.” The chant is followed by a country- folk number these “Stones will Shout” in which Benson and White’s guitars pan from left to continuously like a tornado in motion. The only track that jumps out as a pure Benson creation is “Many Shades of Black.” Nevertheless, White never overshadows him or attempts to throw him to the background. White even channels a piece of Benson’s repertoire in the short but stirring piano piece “Pull this Blanket Off” in which White croons and swoons until the end. In a similar piano led track “You Don’t Understand Me,” pianos slowly but surely build up to the swaggering piano solo. The band merges to near perfection on the title track and “Solute Your Solution.” The grit dirty title track begins with a riff that owes to the gods of classic rock. Once White wails into the picture after saying “lets double track that” there are three plus minutes of a few abrupt tempo changes and primal drums, the track comes to close with freewheeling vocals. “Solute Your Solution” provides a worthy follow up with busting rousing intro that repeats until White comes in like a wailing banshee with a signature octave jumping solo. The song jerks around and bounces off the walls until its conclusion. “Hold Up” features similar styles but in a stripped down garage rock aesthetic.
The freedom and freewheeling featured in Consolers of the Lonely aren’t always satisfying. In some cases it is fun to hear the band make things up as they go but sometimes the album feels too much like a jam session and not enough like a project. The only song lacking in quality is “Rich Kid Blues.” The album’s twelve track features a dry rehashed classic rock feel that never really gets off the ground. To be honest that’s only stinker on the album. After “Rich Kid Blues” and “These Stones will Shout,” “Carolina Drama” concludes the album. It is easily the album’s highlight and White spins a story like he’s a ghost sitting next to you at a campfire. The legend is about Billy, a boy with a vendetta against his mom’s boyfriend. The music morphs from folk song with dark ominous violins to whirling conclusion in which Billy kills the boyfriend with a milk bottle delivered by a mysterious and explained milkman. Even though the story is flawed and lacks detail, it still leaves on imprint on all those that hear it.
White, Benson and pals are starting to mold and their potential shines through in their second release. White Stripes and Raconteurs fans alike should be pleased with this effort that just needs a little more polish to reach the heights of greatness.
