Thursday, June 14, 2007

Introducing Steve Mendoza's Music Column...

The White Stripes are set to releases their sixth album on the 19th of this month titled “Icky Thump.” The White Stripes have migrated to the Warner Brothers mega label for this release, a first for them. Blackbird Studio, in Nashville was the designated recording site, also a departure in that it is by White Stripes standards, a very modern studio. One thing that hasn’t changed is the recording medium; reel-to-reel was employed once again for its natural warmth as opposed to the sterility of digital. The difference in sound is most likely unrecognizable to most of us but it’s the thought that counts. But I say if you’re going go to a major label and a professional studio, then why not go all the way and offer yourself up to the Pro Tools gods as well. But, let’s move on to the album and judge the Stripes by what they create, not how, where, or for whom.

I think the major divide of the fanfare on this album can be gauged by what you thought of their last release, “Get Behind Me Satan.” I thought the album was really groundbreaking for The White Stripes in their musical development. Others felt that this was more of a valiant, yet unfulfilled artistic endeavor. Those of you who agree with this previous statement will find what you have been longing for in “Icky Thump.”

The title track has mass appeal. It’s filled with what we have become accustomed to: a screeching Jack White and a steady thumping on the drums courtesy of Meg White. Anchored with a nice bluesy riff Jack throws some sand in our (Americans) eyes over immigration with the lines, “Well, Americans/What, nothin' better to do, Why don't you kick yourself out/You're an immigrant too.” Next he explains that “you can’t be a pimp and a prostitute too.” These lines roll off his tongue in a way that I can help but think he’s pointing right at us. But hey, that’s a function of both music and art.

Then the album moves to the track “You don’t know what love is,” which reeked of the dirty Nashville gutter it roiled in outside of Blackbird Studio before being hosed off by White, though he was unable to remove the stench. I would perhaps offer Fabreeze, but if the credibility of The White Stripes couldn’t save this song then I’m afraid nothing can. Then the album picks itself up, slowly at first and then “Conquest” breaks in on the back of a horn section and the album seems to have forgotten about its quick stumble. The album seems to continue to reach up and up, and as it reaches some sort of Blues-ed out folk rock plateau, it ends. The tracks “Rag and Bone” and “I’m Slowly Turning Into You” are a couple of the gems to be found.

If you were already a White Stripes fan, you will find reasons in this album to continue on your merry way, there’s no reason you shouldn’t. The White Stripes have fused together the juices that gave us “Get Behind Me Satan” with the disregard that made them so original back in the day. It seems that they went back and re-tooled their style of old with the lyrical maturity Jack has gained through the four albums in-between. Oh yeah, you can check out “Icky Thump” for free before it’s released at http://www.mtv.com/music/the_leak/.


Steve Mendoza

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