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Emeritus
Reviews 88
Approval 95%
Soundoffs 91
News Articles 19
Band Edits + Tags 198
Album Edits 276
Album Ratings 2916
Objectivity 64%
Last Active 01-03-23 11:21 pm
Joined 06-03-16
Review Comments 26,926
| Neek's 1st Listen: Jack White's "Boarding House"
Hey y'all it's been a while! Figured I should get one of these out while I have the time, and I've been looking forward to this one for a while (: | | 1 |  | Jack White
Boarding House Reach
Connected By Love: While this is a clear blend of a wide variety of genres from blues to electronic, it still has a weirdly poppy feel in its melodies. I don’t know, it’s not really my cup of tea and sounds pretty uncreative compared to the rest of his music, even those the gospel backups are a nice addition. I really do enjoy the vibe of the song, but the melodies are just to unexciting for my ears. 7+/10 | | 2 | | Jack White
Boarding House Reach
Why Walk a Dog?: Woahhhh this is pretty spacey, and those guitars sound pissed af. I’m really digging this one so far. Again, the vocals are a bit straightforward but the instrumentation is pretty out there even for him. Much more untraditional than the last one, me gusta. 8+/10 | | 3 | | Jack White
Boarding House Reach
Corporation: Fuck yeah that percussion hits the spot. This sounds very funky, similar to some of Lazaretto’s stuff but with more of a boogie aspect. Man it’s kinda indescribable really, idk what it’s doing but I love it. It’s still cool but the same thing is going on for two minutes. They’re changing it up now but it’s not anything super unexpected tbh. This is like a really lengthy jam you’d hear from a prog/funk band in the 70s. Oh now he’s singing. Or yelling or something. Yeah this album is pretty damn weird so far. It’s changing enough to still stay interesting, messing around with the same riffs but playing with different instruments and melodies to keep it fun, wonder how it’ll hold up on later listens though. 8.5-/10 | | 4 | | Jack White
Boarding House Reach
Abulia and Akrasia:
Man I love when he messes with strings and out of place shit. This’ll probably just be a spoken word interlude but so far it’s fun and pretty cool. Is that him speaking in a weird accent or did he get an actor or something? Yeah that was neat. | | 5 | | Jack White
Boarding House Reach
Hypermisophoniac: I think I spelled that right. Some weird video game noises echoing around, seems to slowly be forming music. Ohhhh he’s singing already, I would’ve liked more of a build up there but here we are. This is fucking strange, sounds like half a ragtime song and half a shitty 80s sci-fi soundtrack. It’s pretty cool but I also don’t find it particularly listenable or palatable, so cool I guess? Man he really wants to rob a bank. Ah that bass thing was cool, and now the guitar building off of it is nice. I feel like this would work a lot better if it calmed down a bit. Like it seems to be trying just a little too hard to be “out there” that’s it’s sacrificing a lot of the fun there could be had here. Overall fun song though I guess. 7+/10 | | 6 | | Jack White
Boarding House Reach
Ice Station Zebra: I think at a certain point I’m getting over the funky openings and am just waiting for the real meat to kick in. Oh man, this one’s is lasting a while though. I usually really enjoy mishmashes of genres, but these don’t seem to be clicking so much as they’re being stacked on top of each other. Like the weird 90s pop rap over ragtime pianos and jazz drumming isn’t the best thing ever. As fun as it might be at first, it’s also kinda stupid. I think the instrumental stuff here is more exciting than the vocals, which is really sad to say after his electric performance in Lazaretto. And now it’s settling down into more straightforward synthy funk murmuring and such. Oy vey. 6.5+/10 | | 7 | | Jack White
Boarding House Reach
Over and Over and Over: Now that’s what I’m talking about, slay those guitars Jack. You can be weird as you want with those and it’ll be cool. Alright, digging this one more but those female vocalists are really pushing it. Yknow, I always figured he was the kind of guy who was smart enough to not need someone to tell him “no,” but it really feels like he could’ve used that on this one. That chorus is really rough yeah. But the guitars are rad. The structure on these things are really admirable, I just wish this song didn’t have those added gang vocals because it’d be like 10x better. Everything else here is fuckin’ rad. Again, the instrumentation is awesome, even Jack’s vocals are really cool this time. Man this is frustration. 6.5+/10 | | 8 | | Jack White
Boarding House Reach
Everything You’ve Ever Learned: Hello… oh lord no let’s not do this. Jesus Christ this isn’t OK Computer Jack. Please stop. It’s like Cure for the Itch but not fun. Okay the music’s starting now. Cool percussion, lame preacher like yelling from Jack, these interludes are not really working so well here honestly. Music picks up, yelling remains the same. Is this song long enough to rate or does it count as an interlude? Egh, fuck it. 6+/10 | | 9 | | Jack White
Boarding House Reach
Respect Commander: Ughhhh that guitar is hawt. That percussion picking up was too. Man I think I remember really digging this as a single, so far I think I’m right because this is pretty badass. This again sounds kinda like a video game soundtrack, but in the weirdly awesome way. That drop-off/build-up is really cool, come on give it to me. This is really unpredictable honestly, I don’t even know if he’s gonna suddenly start singing or whether it’s just instrumental wankery from now on. Oh yeah, we’re singing now. And I guess it’s blues now. Still great though. This is like a completely different song but it’s still really cool. This guy is such a good guitarist Jesus Christ. Well this one is definitely all over the place, but in this case a much better way than before. Bringing it back to that durmbeat it’s cool too damn. 8.5-/10 | | 10 | | Jack White
Boarding House Reach
Ezmerelda Steals the Show: Oh, acoustic guitar, cool. Oh fuck it’s another spoken-word interlude. Come on this is just really lame Jack, you have to understand this. Please just stop. Please. This isn’t cool. Oh my God this is so cringe. You’re lucky this is an interlude and I can’t rate it because it would bring this down so much. This is easily the worst thing on here so far, holy fuck. | | 11 | | Jack White
Boarding House Reach
Get in the Mind Shaft: Please be good. Just please get that out of my ears. Interested so far. AND HE’S STILL TELLING FUCKEN STORIES GODDAMMIT PLEASE JUST GET BACK TO THE MUSIC, I DON’T WANT THIS TO BE A 4 MINUTE LONG INTERLUDE, WHY DIDN’T YOU JUST LEAVE THIS AS PART OF THE LAST SONG. Okay just stop. Okay I think we’re doing a song now. This is cool, let’s go. Some funk-ay synths, cool beats. Woah I even like that ridiculous vocal effect, reminds me of something Dino would rec me or something. This shouldn’t be good but it’s so fun hahaha, what the fuck. It’s surreal how this is actually somewhat working. I wish they cut that first minute of the song because I’m gonna have to seriously dock it some points. I could see myself unironically jamming this sometime, it’s pretty sick. Woahhhh that ascension thing near the end was cool. 7+/10 | | 12 | | Jack White
Boarding House Reach
What’s Done Is Done: Woah musically whiplash. I feel like this was deliberately poorly sequenced to throw people off, which is like cool but also like not. Some weird country duet vocals over spacey electronic beats and a piano is an interesting choice. Unique, I guess? Kinda dumb too, but unique. The two are really incompatible, like I can’t really see myself giving this much thought afterwards as interesting as it is. That instrumental passage was really cool, but again they’re just back to the weird shit. And I like the weird shit. Everyone knows I actively defend weird shit that’s probably out of place, so you know it’s bad when I have a problem with it. Just gonna throw a 6.5-/10 at this. | | 13 | | Jack White
Boarding House Reach
Humoresque: Okay, are you gonna play it straight for the closer you ironic little asshole you? This isn’t bad so far, but you’re probably gonna fuck me over at some point for enjoying this. Nice piano, nice guitars, even if you’re chewing the scenery (or soundscape?) with your performance, it’s pretty nice. Please just keep it in your pants and don’t throw in a accordion or synth or something. We’re almost there, I’m still happy. Yeah this isn’t great but it’s really nice, enjoying this slow build-up. Let’s just see where it’s going. Ooooooh that subtle percussion me gusta. Give it to me. Alright guys, I think we have another winner here. 7.5+/10 | |
neekafat
03.24.18 | Liked this thing but holy fuck it pissed me off
Kinda wanted to write a review but figure the staff are gonna beat me to it :/ | neekafat
03.24.18 | you guys used to like these :/ | bgillesp
03.24.18 | I still do. Never heard of this guy until now though | JustJoe.
03.24.18 | These are strangely entertaining, yeah. | neekafat
03.24.18 | @bgill, you serious?? The White Stripes guy!
@JustJoe the songs or these lists haha | JustJoe.
03.24.18 | These lists. I haven't heard Jack White in forever. Like, literally never. | neekafat
03.24.18 | Waaaaaat check Lazaretto (the song) stat! | JustJoe.
03.24.18 | *checking*
It's pretty funky & it shreds & it makes me wonder if Jack White has ever heard of the Beastie Boys. Hella fresh. | neekafat
03.24.18 | He probably do tbh | theBoneyKing
03.24.18 | The guy was always insanely overhyped, everyone seems to think this new one sucks so I’ll be skipping it tyvm. | neekafat
03.24.18 | I thought it was pretty good but yknow | bgillesp
03.24.18 | Didn't make the connection, nevermind | neekafat
03.24.18 | You should check | neekafat
03.28.18 | For those curious:
Boarding House Reach: 6.5 (6.77)
Connected By Love: 6.5
Why Walk a Dog?: 7.5
Corporation: 8
Abulia and Akrasia: 6.5
Hypermisophoniac: 7.5
Ice Station Zebra: 6
Over and Over and Over: 7
Everything You’ve Ever Learned: 6
Respect Commander: 8.5
Ezmerelda Steals the Show: 4
Get in the Mind Shaft: 6.5
What’s Done Is Done: 6.5
Humoresque: 7.5 |
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