Consolers Of The Lonely - The Raconteurs Album Review

The Raconteurs

Album Review

Confused second, from supposed purveyors of classic 70s rock.

Consolers Of The Lonely in no way matches up to the brilliance of their debut album, though it does have its moments, but they lack the directness of its predecessor. Its most worrying aspect is that it’s lost its ‘classic rock’ remit, now sounding more like a more expanded White Stripes. Their debut opened with sexy rocker Steady As She Goes which became the hook for the remainder of the album that had instant appeal. That kind of hook isn’t here sadly and the album takes time to get going. This one has been conceived ‘on the road’ apparently, and I can’t help feeling a bigger gap was needed before entering the studio. Much of this could have been left on the studio floor, like Hold Up, Top Yourself, and the overblown Five On The Five. Attention is a bit of a duff track too, and totally pointless. In this case, it would’ve been less is more – it’s a whopping 14 tracks don’t forget. Brendan Benson and Jack White share the songwriting credits, but it has all the hallmarks of White’s baby.

White still has a big thing about Led Zep, so inevitably we get some monster riffs and wailing guitar solos.

There are also moments when you think Jack has forgotten which band he’s in, shown on the thumping title track with Jack doing his typical vocal gymnastics. It’s much the same kind of the adrenalin rush for Salute Your Solution, though there’s some heavy funk and wild solos thrown in for good measure. You Don’t Understand is a different ball game. Clunking piano opens the more measured and disciplined soft-rock ballad, while Jack drops some deft Page like twisted ripples. Countrified Old Enough is most welcome totally dispatching any Stripes shadows. Latin flavoured is like an Icky Thump leftover. Masses of brass provided by the Memphis Horns, and yes, some ear-piercing White solos. Further-in Pull This Blanket Off is a damp squib, though Rich Kids Blues with 60s style organ at the mid point is the album’s jewel and could well be their next concert anthem. The crescendo is mind-blowing. When they strike this kind of form they’re sensational, but it doesn’t happen often enough over the entire album. It’s never a good idea rushing the ‘second’ album as it invariably defines a band even if its nearly two years since Broken Boy Soldiers.

File under : Back to the drawing board – please.

Elly Roberts