Released: 2001 (XI)
Band: Jack White-Guitars, Vocals, Piano
Meg White-Drums, Backing Vocals
As many of you know now, The White Stripes consist of two people believed to be brother and sister who originate from the American city of Detroit. This album is their third, but marks the point when they hit the mainstream, with singles such as
Fell In Love With A Girl and
Hotel Yorba. This is probably my second favourite White Stripes album after the international bestseller
Elephant, which was released last year to huge critical acclaim.
The Review
1.
Dead Leaves and The Dirty Ground-A track that opens with what sounds like the band going to their instruments, before Jack's trademark squealing guitar comes in. As with all their songs, the drumming is simple, with there being several louder bits featuring crash cymbals and Jack's guitar, interspersed with quieter bits where Jack sings and Meg takes a back seat. This is a punchy song that is incredibly similar to
There's no home for you here on
Elephant.
5/5
2.
Hotel Yorba-A vaguely "folksy" guitar intro starts off this song, before Jack's understated vocals come in. This song has a fast tempo, and has immense energy. Again, Meg's drumming features loudly in the chorus but a simple interlude where some strummed chords and the hi-hats lead into the final chorus of the song. An undoubted highlight of the album.
5/5
3.
I'm Finding It Harder To Be A Gentleman-This begins with Jack's plaintive vocals, and follows a fairly simple structure throughout, which is typical of the band's nature, as even the most casual fan will know. Jack's vocals change in tone, becoming louder and more soft in turns. Like many of their other songs, this is a love song, which works very well.
4.5/5
4.
Fell In Love With A Girl-This is the song you are most likely to have heard from the album. With an exceptional video, which features the band symbolised as Lego pieces, the song starts fiercely with a guitar part, before Meg's crash cymbals come in. Jack has some particularly frenetic lyrics and vocals here which almost get carried away by the speed and energy of the song. Put simply, brilliant.
5/5
5.
Expecting-A very simple and powerful guitar riff kicks this off, with Jack's shrieked vocals mirroring the tone of the guitar, which quietens down before storming back up into the mix. The tortured tone of his voice reminds me a bit of their cover of
I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself, but this is a song that is unlikely to convert non-fans.
4/5
6.
Little Room-Beginning with a pounding drumbeat by Meg, this consists solely of this beat with Jack initially singing but then making a series of noises. It sounds better than my description, but this gets
3/5. Bear in mind that I'm writing this largely for people who don't love the band. If you do, but don't own this album, you'll probably like this.
7.
The Union Forever-This is a very mournful, sinister track, with a guitar part in what I think is a minor key. Jack's vocals sound anguished, although occasional, quicker, louder interludes break up the tempo. The repeated screams of "It Can't Be Love" tell you everything you need to know about the lyrics, before a bizzare twist which is simply Jack speaking over Meg banging together the drumsticks. The previous part of the song then returns. A different sound to the album, but one that is still good.
4/5
8.
The Same Boy You've Always Known-More upbeat, and of a slower tempo than other tracks. Jack has some calmer vocals as well, which bring out the nature of this surprisingly pretty love song. I can imagine this being one of the songs that fuels the debate over the precise nature of The White Stripes's relationship.
4.5/5
9.
We're Gonna Be Friends-Similar to the previous track, only even calmer, with Jack's vocals sounding cloyingand rather beautiful. This seems sung to a schoolfriend being all about relationships in school and later on. A perfectly nice track, but one without a great deal going on. The layered guitars work well too.
4/5
10.
Offend In Every Way-Back to the "normal" White Stripes sound, and probably another highlight of the album for me. The guitar seems higher in the mix for this song, with Meg's thumping taking a backseat, and some of the best lyrics on the album come out, with Jack singing about the pressure of expectation. One of the better guitar parts on the album as well, which slows down towards the end, before ending.
5/5
11.
I Think I Smell A Rat -A guitar sounding rather stereotypically Middle Eastern starts this track, before Jack's slightly sinister vocals come in. This seems to be about the insincerity of children (my interpretation), talking about "little kids". Again, a different style for the band, but rather an effective one.
4/5
12.
Aluminium-An instrumental, with distorted guitars providing feedback, while Jack screams over the top. A definite weak point of the album.
2/5
13.
I Can't Wait-Good opening that slightly recalls the guitar part of Nirvana's
Heart Shaped Box to me. That's as far as the comparison goes though, with Jack asking, "Who do you think you're messing with girl?", and almost taunting an ex-lover. This is the longest song on the album, and another good point of it, with a very strong chorus, which shines due to the decreased tempo of the song.
4.5/5
14.
Now Mary -A very good song, which seems to have a breezy air, although being the White Stripes this is punctuated by sudden louder moments. Anyone who knows their cover of
I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself will know what I mean. This seems a bittersweet song, which is re-inforced by it seemingly being directed at a woman left after a troubled relationship.
4/5
15.
I Can Learn-An odd song, with alternate sections of quieter music and singing followed by louder sections (particularly notable at the beginning). The drumming particularly helps here, with variety in tone backing up Jack's voice. This is a lonely song, looking back at a failed relationship, which also particularly suits Jack's yowling voice.
4.5/5
16.
This Protector-A piano led song, with Meg on vocals , initially almost inaudible, before Jack joins her. This sounds possibly like a band such as Coldplay more than anything else, albiet with Meg and Jack bringing their own style. There is no other instrument than piano on this track, bringing the album to a rather beautiful close, drenched in cords. Although very different from any normal White Stripes track. I love this.
5/5
For most other bands, this would be the peak of their achievement, but such was the brilliance of
Elephant, that this was forced into second place on my list of White Stripes albums. One of the most familiar criticisms I hear of this band is the simplicity of their instrument, but while this is true, it merely serves to make their songs, in my opinion, even better than they would be with more technical playing, by not going over the top, and keeping their sound stripped down. The short nature of these songs, with none approaching the 4 minute mark also helps this. I can honestly recommend this album as being a case where the hype is justified. Overall rating:
4.5/5
