Jack White - Lazaretto
Jack White
'Lazaretto'
Tiger Rating - 8.5 / 10
For such a hailed "genius", Mr. White really did behave like a jealous little girl in his spat with Dan Auerbach. Jealousy is ugly Jack. And obviously affected his first solo record. It was plain that he was trying too hard. I found 'Blunderbuss' really hard to listen to. Contrary to it's goth flavoured record sleeve, 'Lazaretto' at times is pure sunshine. I haven't bothered to look up the featured additional vocalists, but they are all well placed. No more so on the cutesy country lick 'Alone In My Home'. Sure he sings about becoming a ghost, but you get the impression he means a Casper the cartoon ghost type ghost.
Elsewhere he is genuinely as dark and menacing as the cover. Besides the title track (which sounds GREAT live), 'Would You Fight For My Love' is actually NOT a Cheryl Cole inspired song (weirdly), but a slow building, unexpected journey through a graveyard on LSD. Its brilliantly weird and yet doesn't sound like he's trying anything too hard. Therein lies the genius of Jack. Effortless weirdness. We drink that stuff up.
Obviously there are violins a plenty, whiny country guitars for punctuation and at times beautifully restrained folk vocals ('Entitlement').
This is the Jack White we know from the Stripes, from Dead Weather and from the touches he's added on production to the longest list of names. Maybe it's because he's buried the hatchet with Auerbach, but this effort sounds entirely effortless. It's strong, restrained in the right places, and then just when you think you're getting it, he whips a reggae flavoured drumbeat over bluegrass guitars and a screechy violin outro. Out of nowhere ('That Black Bat Licorice').
WTF??
It' absolutely brilliant. Bury the hatchet more often Jack. Forgiveness sounds good on you.
WVS
Elsewhere he is genuinely as dark and menacing as the cover. Besides the title track (which sounds GREAT live), 'Would You Fight For My Love' is actually NOT a Cheryl Cole inspired song (weirdly), but a slow building, unexpected journey through a graveyard on LSD. Its brilliantly weird and yet doesn't sound like he's trying anything too hard. Therein lies the genius of Jack. Effortless weirdness. We drink that stuff up.
Obviously there are violins a plenty, whiny country guitars for punctuation and at times beautifully restrained folk vocals ('Entitlement').
This is the Jack White we know from the Stripes, from Dead Weather and from the touches he's added on production to the longest list of names. Maybe it's because he's buried the hatchet with Auerbach, but this effort sounds entirely effortless. It's strong, restrained in the right places, and then just when you think you're getting it, he whips a reggae flavoured drumbeat over bluegrass guitars and a screechy violin outro. Out of nowhere ('That Black Bat Licorice').
WTF??
It' absolutely brilliant. Bury the hatchet more often Jack. Forgiveness sounds good on you.
WVS
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