The White Stripes - Icky Thump Review [2]
Posted by Dan Marsicano on 06.21.2007
The White Stripes release another masterpiece.........is anybody really surprised?
Introduction:
Hey 411-ers. I’ve decided to wait to do another trivia question until next week, when I review Symphony X’s new one. I’ve heard nothing, but good stuff about the album, so I’m excited to get my hands on it. If anybody wants to find out what my last trivia question is, just read my review for Dream Theater’s Systematic Chaos.
The Band:
Jack White-Vocals, Guitar, Piano, Keyboards
Meg White-Drums, Backing Vocals
The Review:
The White Stripes are a band that can do no wrong. You have to give credit to a band that can go from releasing a guitar-heavy album (Elephant) to one that has melodies that are more piano-driven (Get Behind Me Satan) and still sell the same amount of albums. Unlike other bands that try to evolve their sound, (I’m looking at you, Metallica), the White Stripes have always found a way to bring their fans back for more. For their latest record, the White Stripes spent three weeks in the studio, which is the longest time spent in the studio to date for the band. The hype on the album was great as the band promised a return to the Elephant sound. With all the pressure and hype put onto the band, can they deliver another quality release to add to the string of quality releases already put out by the White Stripes?
The title track, and current single, opens the album up with not a whimper, but a bang. The song starts with a keyboard that sounds like it is twenty years old that Jack found in his basement. Then the riff comes and the listener knows that the White Stripes means business. The song is basically one big political statement about immigration and how the United States is handling it. “What, Americans have nothing better to do? Why don’t you kick yourself out, you’re an immigrant too!” is really the line that describes what Jack was trying to get across. Usually I don’t like political messages in my music, but Jack is able to put a bit of a humorous twist on it, which is nice to hear. “Icky Thump” is a catchy song that has the keyboard and guitar battling for dominance, with solos flying out of the woodwork.
“You Don’t Know What Love Is (You Just Do As Your Told)” continues the heavy guitar tones from “Icky Thump,” but has a more blues and country-tinged sound to it. Jack gets a chance to sing a bit, which works well, and the song is catchy and full of superb guitar playing by Jack White. The song ends with a great solo that harkens back to “Ball and Biscuit” off of Elephant.
The album continues to utilize the bluesy-rock sound with “300 M.P.H Torrential Outpour Blues.” The song starts off softly, with Jack still singing cleanly and plucking his guitar away. The song is very Led-Zeppelin influenced and sounds like Jimmy Page was in the studio with the White Stripes. The song is slow paced for the most part, with some heavy sections where Jack lets loose on the electric guitar. Overall, a good song that shows off how influential 70’s rock is to the White Stripes.
“Conquest,” which is a cover of a Patti Page song, turns a 180 on the album. Starting with a loud horn section, the song is very Spanish-sounding with flamenco guitars and a mariachi band. The song, like “Icky Thump,” has two instruments fighting for space. Guitar and trumpet do battle for ultimate dominance for about ten seconds and it sounds absolutely phenomenal. The backing vocals bring a Western flavor to the song and Jack’s vocals are just spectacular. Even though the song is less than three minutes, it is an absolute classic that is both confusing and amazing at the same time.
“Bone Broke” brings the album back on track with a song that sounds like the White Stripes. Brash, loud, and catchy, “Bone Broke” is the song that would not be out of place on any other White Stripes album. It doesn’t do anything original or special, but it is a solid song that has its moments (guitar solo/random noice section halfway through and at the end).
“Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn” is the first of two songs that is very folk-sounding and influenced by the White Stripes Scottish heritage. The bagpipes help to make this song stand out in the album and also really show off that Scottish flavor. The song is catchy and sounds like something that could be sung at either a Scottish or Irish bar. The next song, “St. Andrews (This Battle Is In The Air),” continues the folk sound with the bagpipes still around and Meg White doing spoken word vocals. It is an interlude, since the next song brings back the guitars. However, it is an interesting experiment that doesn’t succeed, but also doesn’t fail.
“Little Cream Soda” starts off with Jack’s count before the guitars come back in. The song is driven by a heavy riff that goes all over the place. The song takes a full minute before vocals come in and the spoken word vocals continue from the last song. The song is one long jam with spoken word verses here and there. “Little Cream Soda” is one of the White Stripes’ heaviest songs and a great song to get the album back on track from the folksy middle section.
“Rag and Bone” brings the blues sound back to the album, with Meg and Jack switching off vocals for the first time in the album. Yet again, Jack is able to write a catchy riff that makes the listener want to tap their feet. The song seems to be about the White Stripes new career in collecting random crap, which makes the song funny with that undeniable White Stripes sound to it.
The 70’s rock sound comes back with a vengeance in “I’m Slowly Turning Into You.” With an organ that sounds like it came from Jon Lord and a guitar riff that sounds like a regular Jack White riff mixed with Ritchie Blackmore. Jack pulls out a great solo and Meg does a stellar job on backing vocals.
“A Martyr For My Love For You” keeps the organ, but loses the electric guitar for an acoustic one. This song is the so-called “ballad” of the album, and helps to change the pace of the album yet again. The electric guitar is still around, but takes a backseat to the beautiful guitar melody on the acoustic. The song is one of the least exciting songs on the album, but that’s ok because it’s nice to see the White Stripes not go crazy for one song.
“Catch Hell Blues” is the “Balls and Biscuit” song on Icky Thump. Basically, this song shows off Jack White’s immense guitar-playing skills. The lyrics don’t even matter in this song as they are just an excuse for Jack to sing. No, the main feature is the crazy solos that come out of Jack’s guitar. My only complaint is that the song should’ve been a bit longer.
“Effect and Cause” is one of the best songs on the album. Why, you may ask? The reason is that is an acoustic song that is both funny and insightful. What other song would make the line “You’re like a little girl, yellin’ at her brother, because you lost his ball” sound both funny and cool at the same time?
Jack White sounds great, with his clean vocals really shining. His guitar skills don’t hurt either. Unlike Get Behind Me Satan, Jack really lets the solos fly out like it was the Fourth of July. His vocals seem to be improving with time and that makes the album sound more mature than ever. Meg White’s drumming is like always; minimal, yet powerful. Slow, yet brooding. Uncomplicated, yet compelling. Her vocals are great as well, especially on “Rag and Bone.”
People will criticize the White Stripes, no matter what their album sounds like. With Icky Thump, the White Stripes score another slam dunk. The album ranges from folk to rock, bagpipes to trumpets, and blues to metal. The album is one of a kind and a breath of fresh air in a music industry that is trudging out the same crap week in and week out.
The 411: Another masterpiece in a long line for the White Stripes. There are some future classics in this album, including "Catch Hell Blues," "Effect and Cause" and "Icky Thump." While not every song on the album works (St. Andrews), most of these songs are the best songs the White Stripes have ever written. An outstanding release that is one of the top 5 releases of 2007.
