Jack White Reports: Rock Will Never Die
After many more or less successful experiments, Jack White has decided to bring his punk blues back to life on his sixth solo album. The blue No Name album relies on a friendly aesthetic, garage riffs and traditional rock techniques.
Punk is in Jack White's blood. It's reflected in the style of the release, which served as a humorous anti-PR of the current "prefabricated" era. The latest songs reached Jack's fans in his London store as a gift with purchase. It wasn't until later that it made it onto streaming services and that Jack White's Third Man Record Instagram account preached to all the faithful: Rip it!
For peers who have been following the phenomenon of The White Stripes when the new millennium started, as well as all the bickering over copyright in the age of the Internet, the now forgotten pirated MP3, including the return of vinyl to record stores, the album's release method is more than a little amusing...
Anyway, Jack White's sixth album is exactly what we want to hear: dark rock, raw punk, subtle blues. All these ingredients create a tension we haven't heard in White's work for a long time.
The blues opening track, "Old Scratch Blues", immediately captivates with a powerful Led Zeppelin-esque guitar sound that Jack maintains for the rest of the record. The following "Bless Yourself" with a lazily aggressive rap starts with a garage thrash riff, while "That's How I'm Feeling" begins with a catchy melody, only to roar in an AC/DC vein moments later.
On the funky "Underground", Jack visits the sixties and the Rolling Stones, and optimism radiates from the beautiful "It's Rough On Rats (If You're Asking)", "Number One With A Bullet" and "What's The Rumpus?", whose raw groove seems to have fallen out of The White Stripes' catalogue. In "Tonight (Was A Long Time Ago)" Jack blasts out a powerful riff, strongly reminiscent of another one by the Rolling Stones on their last album (Angry). Punk chaos reigns supreme in the fast and easy "Bombing Out" and the final "Terminal Archemeny Endling" is a gentle rock epitaph that explodes only in fiery choruses.
What can you appreciate about the album as musicians?
No name is a record lacking Jack's crazy experiments. The songs are simple, strong, rock-readable. The lyrics combine personal introspection with sharp criticism of social issues. White doesn't avoid reflecting on the current state of the world, which adds depth and urgency to the album. His voice is raw and emotional, infusing the songs with authenticity and power.
No Name returns White to his roots while exploring new musical horizons. The album is a diverse blend of sounds that oscillate between traditional rock, blues and the occasional experimental element. On first listen, it's clear that White remains true to his reputation as a master of riffs and catchy melodies, yet he doesn't hesitate to use new production tricks and innovations.
Jack White – No Name
Jack White, 00:43:23
rock/punk/blues
85 %
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