The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers

Something Different

I've had this album for a while now, and it is one of my favorites. I thought it was going to be similar to the White Stripes, but it really isn't; there are some similarities, but it has more structure and less of the random loud noises that the Stripes use so much lately. This album has a good mixture of fast-paced songs with a few "poppier" songs mixed in. If you're looking for some good, creative, rowdy music, then buy this album! September 21, 2008

Trying to become hip

So, about a year ago, I bought a Zune for when I work out, and quickly realized that the 15 gigs I downloaded off my CDs were all bands from the 70's or early 80's and the music they're still doing; a very little bit of rap, but nothing from the last 2 decades. So I had heard White Stripes on the radio, and bought Icky Stomp, and that led me to buying the rest of White Stripes cd's, most of which are great, So when I saw that Jack White is past of Raconteurs, I bought them and really like this album a lot.

The punchline is that I was shopping in Safeway, and they were playing White Stripes on the sound system there. So much for being hip! But, what the heck---I do like th music, and I enjoy it.

Square Old Man! August 27, 2008

Bold New Vocals

What I really appreciate in this album, and in Consolers of the Lonely for that matter, is the contrasting vocal work between the power pop style of Benson and the Detroit Blues style of White. Seldom do you see a group these days with one good vocalist but this band has two. They made really good decisions with who should sing on which song also. I would compare it to Daltrey and Townshend except more evenly distributed. July 9, 2008

Jack White: analog boy in the digital world

Buy it on vinyl; trust me on this. "Broken Boy Soldiers" is made to be played LOUD, and nothing does loud like vinyl. Jack White makes this old dude very happy by releasing his stuff on LP.

And as to the "it's only 30 minutes long" nonsense? "Rubber Soul" is less than 30 minutes; Joni's "Song to a Seagull" is not much longer. As James Brown once said, "You hit it and quit it". Darn right; we're not buying groceries here.

If you like '70s era Zep styled music, "Broken Boy Soldiers" is a must. April 27, 2008

An indie pop mini classic

They can resist the title all they want, but it's hard to think of the Raconteurs as anything other than a supergroup. Sure, Jack White is the only member of the band who qualifies as a true star (a rock star in this day and age. Imagine that!), but Detroit songwriter Brendan Benson isn't exactly an unknown. Okay, maybe you've never heard of him, but it's not all about you, okay? As for the rhythm section of Jack Lawrence (bass) and Patrick Keeler (drums), they're from the Greenhornes, a band that, although not mega-famous by any stretch of the imagination, certainly has its following.

There's also a genuine group dynamic here. White doesn't dominate the sessions, sharing the writing, vocal, guitar, and keyboard credits with Benson. Give Broken Boy Soldiers a good listen, and you'll find that each songwriting partner brings his own distinct ideas and influences to the table- there's plenty of backroom psychedelia, mutant blues, hook-filled 60s pop, wailing garage rock, postmodern boogie, crunchy power chordage, acoustic delirium, menacing surrealism, playful humor, and emotive introspection here, all of it folded neatly into ten fantastically crafted songs. It's an incredibly fun, varied, and at times unpredictable mixture, a miniature guided tour through the imaginary record collections of two of modern rock's finest journeymen.

But having said that, Broken Boy Soldiers isn't a masterpiece, nor is it earth shattering. Of course, it doesn't really try to be. It's above all that "historical significance" stuff. It's a record that's more interested in having a good time than changing the world, and it doesn't mind one bit the fact that it's incredibly slight. As a matter of fact, that's part of its charm. You can hear it in the opening track. Easily one of the finest singles of this century (remember, it's only 2008, so the designation isn't all that monumental yet), "Steady, As She Goes" is a relentless surge of menacing indie-pop brilliance, a Love-esque brew of ominous vocals and irresistible melodies. After that, the album jumps gleefully all over the place, nailing schmaltz-free balladry ("Together"), apocalyptic neo-psych (the title track), broken down prog metal ("Store Bought Bones"), cryptically bright acoustic pop ("Yellow Sun"), playful absurdity ("Intimate Secretary"), and spooky doom-lounge blues ("Blue Veins") without missing a beat. In the end, it's a difficult album to complain about, and only "Call It A Day" comes off as genuinely underwhelming. It's not a bad track, just a bit dull.

So, expect anything short of genius, and you'll probably be rewarded. Enjoy! March 24, 2008

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