ALBUM REVIEW: BLUNDERBUSS - JACK WHITE
With the four albums between The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather, we have heard what Jack White music sounds like when it is out from under the umbrella of The White Stripes. But Jack White’s first solo album had a different feel to it than those other projects. When White made those other albums he was still one major half of The White Stripes. They were still making albums, playing shows, and being the band that all other musicians loved. Blunderbuss has a different vibe because there is no more White Stripes for Jack White to go back to after this latest musical endeavor. This is now who Jack White is and what Jack White music will be like as long as he is making music.
Blunderbuss is exactly what I expected it to be. I had an idea in my head of what a Jack White solo album would sound like and this met those expectations. To be honest, it underwhelmed after the first listen because in the back of my head I was hoping to hear some White Stripes influence in this album. Sadly, I have to understand that Jack White’s career moving forward is going to be a direct reflection of who he is as a person and a musician – not one half of The White Stripes. Who Jack White is as a person and musician is someone who has a love for the blues. In the excellent documentary It Might Get Loud, Jack White said that for him, playing guitar and making music is just an excuse to play the blues. He continued to say he would always look for any excuse to play the blues. That mindset is felt throughout the 13 songs on this album. White shows range in creating an album that borrows from the blues, rockabilly, and has a very southern country feel to it. There is a laid back and subtle feel to this album that White had given us glimpses of in his work with the Raconteurs. There are moments in which White reminds everyone that he is one of the greatest guitar players walking the Earth but he does it in a way that never detracts from the flow of the album.
This album makes me anticipate Jack White’s next album even more. This is the first chapter of something bigger down the road. I know Jack White will not disappoint us. Just like he did not disappoint with this album.
GRADE: B+
Purchase Blunderbuss here: http://tinyurl.com/886ocyb
By Craig Brenner
