|
After
2 full-length albums, Jack & Meg White broke through in 2002 with
"White Blood Cells" and the insanely catchy song "Fell
In Love With A Girl." That album featured a great & gritty
mix of blues & garage that oozed with the honesty and low-fi integrity
that is intrinsic to their sound. If the previous 2 sentences sound
good to you - I highly suggest picking up their first 3 albums. Like
the Ramones, it isn't always a new experience, but it's satisfying
nonetheless.
The White Stripes' newest release suffers from the success of the
previous album (and subsequent MTV-friendly appearances.) "Elephant"
is more interesting than your average "Saliva" release -
by far - but compared to previous outings, suffers. This album finds
the brother & sister (huh? ex-spouses? maybe? who cares?) progressing
sonically from late-60's/70's garage/new wave rock & "dirty"
folk towards a more psychedelic sound on a track or 2. Musically,
they are finding their "sea legs" - using a sample here
and there and processed vocal effects. "I Want To Be The Boy
In Your Warm Mother's" actually re-invents the majestic "Dead
Leaves & The Dirty Ground" from "White Blood Cells"
as a piano/slide guitar ballad of some sort. It was better the first
time around. On the third track, "There's No Home For You Here",
it begins with a Queen-worthy multi-track chorus. However, where earlier
albums may have been less ambitious, the consistentcy had unexpected
rewards. "Elephant" features new sounds, but - if you can
believe it - suffers lyrically. Previous releases had the same comfort
of heartbreak and melancholy that you'd find from most blues musicians
- if nothing else, they remain genuine & raw. This album feels
for the first time like the simplicity of message isn't quite enough
- kinda like when "Peanuts" cartoon specials lost their
heartbreak in favor of white water rafting. The White Stripes, at
their best, are all about pining for the Red-Headed Girl. "Elephant"
works about half the time. The other half, it's forgivable to get
the sense that they are getting bored with their own simplicity. Musically
dynamic, the album often lacks the genuine feeling of being an outsider
that made the earlier albums so exciting. -
IAN, APRIL 25, 2003
|