The Raconteurs: Consolers of the Lonely

By: Alex Proctor

Consider it a surprise attack. On Tuesday of last week, The Raconteurs released their new album, Consolers of the Lonely (Warner Brothers), with little to no fanfare or advance notice, essentially springing it on us unannounced, and fortunately, this time around, Jack White and Brendan Benson have found a way to wed their individual sounds without compromising what makes each unique – White’s confrontational edge or Benson’s ability to craft pop melodies. Thanks to pre-digital age tubes, this Zeppelin-esque barnstormer hums and crackles with warm fuzz, and unlike the band’s pleasant, though relatively innocuous, 2006 effort, Broken Boy Soldier, this one rawks.

The opening shot, and album’s title track, has the deliberate feel of a live, one-take affair. Brimming with contagious energy, it begins with a bluesy guitar line played over the sounds of light conversation, including White’s aside to “double track that,” before the rhythmically primitive, urgent drums drop in (Meg White, anyone?) Both here and on the incendiary second track, power chord driven foot-stomper “Salute Your Solution,” slated to be released as the album’s first single, White and Benson trade vocals, proving a highly effective tag team with surprisingly similar styles. This harmonious partnership shines in full glory on the lush, piano based number, “You Don’t Understand Me” and throughout the album. Excepting White’s truly unique vocal idiosyncrasies, it’s not easy to tell who’s singing what. The two men’s voices blend into one another, creating a “Raconteurs sound,” a key factor that accounts for the fact that for the first time they sound like a fully realized band, capable of doing much more than just playing it safe.

After this tone-setting salvo, other album standouts include spaghetti-western “The Switch and The Spur,” which features a moody, picturesque melody and gleaming Spanish horns, over which Benson sings a tale of blood and saddle-weary sorrow before White steals the show with a scathing solo. Both the propulsive “Five on the Five” and “Attention” find The Raconteurs stretching their legs, experimenting with unusual sonic textures and letting the rhythm section take the foreground to create a dynamic, thoroughly modern version of classic rock ‘n’ roll. It’s on the album’s final cut, “Carolina Drama,” that the band truly lives up to its name. A raconteur is essentially a wry and skillful storyteller, and White wastes nary a word while unfurling this dark tale of murder.

So, lonely music fans, take comfort. If this was a surprise attack, then it was friendly fire. The Raconteurs have unleashed an album’s worth of rock masterpieces to keep you company for the next few months. So, consoled?

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