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| Jack White (featuring creepy angels) |
To be quite honest, I know very little about the legendary Jack White and the myriad of bands he's been in (The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, The Dead Weather). But I do know, from the handful of songs I've heard by him on the radio, that his guitar skills are unparalleled in the music world. When I first heard "Seven Nation Army," I was blown away. The guitar riff from that song is legendary; everyone has heard of the riff at least! He is so good that he made number 17 in Rolling Stones' '100 Greatest Guitarists' list. See other really good Jack White songs here: "Freedom At 21", "Steady As She Goes", "Love Interruption".
Jack White is, in my opinion, an artist. He writes music, plays sick guitar, is a music historian, collects antiques, and has acted in various shows and movies. He was also very close to becoming a priest, was once an upholsterer, and loved classical music as a child. Growing up in Detroit exposed him to a lot of blues and rock, so his music is influenced by both and punk music, which he was exposed to by a fellow upholsterer he used to work with. Jack has only released one album as a solo artist, Blunderbuss, but his next album, titled Lazaretto, will be released on June 10th.
"Lazaretto" is up to par with usual Jack White style. His fuzzy, analog lead in that turns into this crawling, lively monster during the instrumental break is full of life, but unsurprising. His lyrics, describing how he sympathizes with the lepers in a lazaretto (a special quarantine facility for those with leprosy) and how he has risen far above his lot in life, are insightful into his own struggles. Although I really want to like this song (and I do, a large part of me does), I get this niggling feeling that he has used this formula before. Don't get me wrong, his guitar riffs and songwriting talents are excellent, but as an artist, you cannot rely on what has worked before. You have to think outside of the box, stick with a style, but reinvent the way you present it. Also, I think the release of Lazaretto (the album) is a bit gimmick-y and that rubs me the wrong way. You see, this album broke the world record for Fastest Studio to Store, but it's really not such an incredible thing because 1. he released it under his own studio, so probably experienced less hoops to jump through than other artists and 2. not very many people buy the actual record anymore because of digital song purchasing. So although this song is technically well done, catchy, and interesting to listen to, I'm iffy on how I feel about it because (dare I say it?) Lazaretto is a bit lazy. If he is going to keep writing new music to win over a newer generation, then he needs to change his songwriting formula up and produce something that is not a homage to his past music.
All in all, a good song that got stuck in gimmicks and old tricks. But I don't blame him, I sometimes yearn for music from the past and if anyone is allowed to be indulgent in doing that it's Jack White.
Lyrics:
"Lazaretto"
My veins are blue and connected
And every single bone in my brain is electric
But I dig ditches like the best of 'em
Yo trabajo duro
Como en madera y yeso
Como en madera y yeso
And even God herself
Has fewer plans than me
But she never helps me out with my scams for free,
though she grabs a stick and then she points it at me
When I say nothing, I say everything
Yeah when I say nothing, I say everything
They threw me down in the lazaretto
Born rottin', bored rotten
Makin' models of people I used to know
Out of coffee and cotton
And all of my illegitimate kids have begotten
Thrown down to the wolves, made feral for nothin'
Quarantine on the Isle of Man and I'm trying to escape any way that I can, oh
Any way that I can, oh
I have no time left
Time is lost, no time at all, throw it in a garbage can
And I shake God's hand
I jump up and let her know when I can
This is how I'm gonna do it
They wanna blow down in prison
They're lighting fires with the cast of the masses
And like the dough I don't fall down
I'm so Detroit, I make it rise from the ashes
Rating: 4.5 RECORDS
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Photo: zmemusic.com
Information: Wikipedia, consequenceofsound.net, rock.rapgenius.com |
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