MELINA MELETAKOS
Jack White creates music that overflows with drama. It started with The White Stripes, then The Raconteurs and, most recently, the supergroup Dead Weather. Now, he’s going it alone with Blunderbuss, his highly-anticipated debut solo album.
With allusions to White’s recent divorce, Blunderbuss is an album about the collapse of a relationship. White lets it all out in an unrestrained, angry and sometimes harrowing way with lyrics such as “I won’t let love disrupt, corrupt, or interrupt me anymore” on the track “Love Interruption”. The song is a slow and simple acoustic duet with Ghanaian-born singer Ruby Amanfu and stands out as a raw and emotional catharsis of White’s experience.
While White is famous for his mastery of the guitar, Blunderbuss sees the instrument sharing centre stage with the piano in tracks such as “Weep Themselves to Sleep”. The song’s lavish piano pieces and hypnotic guitar distortions couple perfectly with White’s signature crooning.
With a sound reminiscent of The Beatles, “On and On and On” is another laid-back, serene tune. It begins with a tragic but beautiful violin solo and is peppered with heartrending, slow piano pieces.
“I’m Shakin’” is an energetic cover of the R&B classic by Little Willie John. Frequent bursts of song from the background chorus add a lovely touch.
With its dominating guitar riffs, “Sixteen Saltines” screams The White Stripes and will please fans that are still mourning the breakup of the iconic band.
“Take Me With You When You Go” is the exquisite grand finale to Blunderbuss, with its extensive use of the violin and piano. It speeds up halfway through the song with the introduction of a majestic guitar riff. The track is easily the most interesting because it sounds as though several songs were cleverly woven together to form one mind-blowing tune.
Like its creator, Blunderbuss is enigmatic, unadulterated and a little bit odd. It is Jack White at his best.
See the “Weep Themselves to Sleep” music video @ pPerdeby7410c or below.
RATING: 8/10
Image: www.musicthatisntbad.org
