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By Trevor Dye
Recent trends have led to a proliferation of pop rock bands, inevitably transforming the genre into a money machine. Although new bands are emerging daily, few have distinguished themselves from the rest. The Raconteurs may very well be the band to raise the benchmark for every act to follow with their upcoming album Broken Boy Soldiers. When word broke about a collaboration of Jack White (The White Stripes), Brendan Benson (Motor City), Patrick Keeler and Jack Lawrence (The Greenhornes), many associated this as a Zeppelin or Stones for our generation. While that may be a bit extreme, each member's individual success certainly merits the label "Supergroup." The Raconteurs' beginnings stem from a studio session between the Detroit natives and longtime friends Benson and White during which they laid down "Steady, As She Goes," a track that inspired the union. Keeler and Lawrence soon came aboard to complete the pop rock quartet. Benson and White seemingly share the lead role of vocals and guitar with Lawrence on bass and Keeler on drums. White's mainstream success is a prominent reason for the hype around the band, but it is the creative force they present collectively that makes this a great album.
The most important thing for any listener to understand about Broken Boy Soldiers is that there are noticeable elements from each member's previous projects, but this isn't merely another Stripes, Motor City, or Greenhornes album. They seem to mesh the abundance of talent and creativity well, particularly with the composition, which possesses an almost calculated balance of vocals between White and Benson. Similar to The Who's ability to blend pop and rock, the record constantly shifts from White's bluesy rock vibe to Benson and his lighter Beatles-style Britpop sound. Their contrast of style complements one another perfectly with Keeler and Lawrence providing the melodic rhythms that make this record impossible to put down.
Throwing out phrases like "Supergroup," "a Zeppelin or Stones for our generation," and "impossible to put down" may make Broken Boy Soldiers seem unflawed, but this is not necessarily accurate. After finishing the record, which lasts just a little over thirty minutes, I was left wanting more. It wasn't just lacking in time; with the level of talent compiled on one record, I expected something groundbreaking and it fell short. As a fan of their previous work, I can't seem to completely justify the hype created by the media, but if this is your first introduction to White, Benson, etc., then you will probably be reasonably impressed. Also relevant to wanting more, the problem with a Supergroup is they are typically a side project, meaning an encore is improbable. If Broken Boy Soldiers is all we get from The Raconteurs, then I'm not one to complain. This has quickly become my favorite record, and I will be adding to the hype all summer.
JamBase | New York City
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