Really did not expect to like this since I've never much cared for the White Stripes and didn't think the Raconteurs even improved on Brendan Benson's solo work. But this is great: the guitar and piano work is just fierce, the songs don't repeat each other, and there's energy and humor and sadness where I was expecting gimmicks and calculation.
Blunderbuss doesn't provide a shockingly new direction for White, but it doesn't really have to either. Fans of his other work may pick this up blindly and newcomers will find a quasi-complete overview of his different music styles and influences. And as always, the blues is all up in this bitch.
Jack White being Jack White with a little more piano than expected. The guitar work and songwriting, as always, shines like a candle in a blackout (not sure if that really means anything).
