Acorn

Issue date: 4/11/08 Section: Arts and Leisure

Media Credit: wikipedia.org

In the summer of 2005 in Detroit, Jack White of the White Stripes and Brendon Benson of The Greenhorns began a song called "Steady as She Goes," which became the inspiration to form a new band called The Raconteurs. This super group, which consists of White and Benson on both lead vocals and guitar, Jack Lawrence on bass, and Patrick Keeler on guitar, has released a new album called "Consolers of the Lonely."

If the White Stripes give you the one-two punch with White's solo guitar riff-based songs, then The Raconteurs follow through with punches three and four by delivering a full-out band with chomping power chord progressions, baselines, synthesizer and harmonizing vocals. As in their first album, "Broken Boy Soldiers," which was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album, The Raconteurs offer a taste of the legacy of rock left behind by powerhouse legends such as Led Zeppelin and AC/DC. In a different manner than many contemporary artists, "Consolers of the Lonely" spoon-feeds listeners a mix of heavy, distorted power chords with a chilling accoutrement of Jimmy Page-influenced guitar riffs. The album's opener of the same title is one such helping of rock: The two-part intro of solo guitar, followed by a swift drum count-off, leads into crushing power chords. The next song and first single of the album, "Salute Your Solution," is of the same caliber and a powerful synth fills in the bridge.

Furthermore, "Consolers of the Lonely" continues to prove that the Raconteurs have the ability to turn off their Marshal Full Stacks, ditch their Boss distortion pedals and woo us with a few good old rock ballads. Most of its songs empathize with lonesome and broken-hearted listeners. "You Don't Understand Me," the third song on the album, is piano-driven power ballad in which the songwriters express a frustration with a dysfunctional relationship. The majority of the songs on the album that deal with the toils of love resonate with the artistic partnership of Lennon and McCartney in pensive songs.

This second album fails to keep in line with the infamous sophomore album slump. White and Benson have once again created killer anthems equivalent to a "Mortal Kombat" fatality that will leave you wondering which unhallowed button-sequence Cage just used to rip out your heart. Enjoy.

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