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Album Details

• Artist: The White Stripes
• Album: Icky Thump
• Label: Third Man / Warner
• Year of Release: 2007
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: dscanland on 2007-06-27

The White Stripes are a strange band for me. I get all giddy inside whenever a new album comes out and then listen to the damn thing to death and then rarely go back and check it out again. But on those occasions when I do go back and listen to them I still drop my jaw with the clever riffs that Jack White is capable and the metronomic qualities of Meg's skin bashing. Another thing that always amazing is the diversity that this twosome possesses. I'm not giving Jack all the credit but after the equally impressive Raconteurs project he is proving to be quite the troubadour. When their new album, Icky Thump, begins with the title track declaring:

"All Americans, What? Nothing better to do? Why don't you kick yourself out, you're an immigrant too.
Who's using who? What should we do? You can be a pimp and a prostitute."

You have to admit that Mr. White is a very clever lyricist.

When track 2, "You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You're Told)" hits your ears the diversity of The White Stripes rears its head. It's a damn country song, for crying out loud! A damn good one too but the Whites end up hiding the fact in distortion. I love the dynamics in "300 MPH Torrential Outpour Blues". "Conquest" may as well be in a Spaghetti Western movie. Yes, Jack hauls out the Tejano trumpets on this curve ball. "Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn" is a Celtic throwdown, complete with mandolin. Might throw some but I enjoyed it.

"Little Cream Soda" is a bloody raw song done in an awesome gritty blues style, probably one of the rawest White Stripes track to date (with maybe "Blue Orchid" being the rawest). Then another more traditional blues track follows, "Rag & Bones" is wonderful blues romp as well. Some great banter between Jack and Meg here.

At first listen it seems that the first half of Icky Thump is where all the treats are but give the second have a chance. "Catch Hell Blues" sticks to your ribs with its awesomely thick blues. It's obvious that Jack has bitten by the Blues bug heavily on this album but damn, he has no problem with any genre, and it's not like Blues is something new for this duo.

So right now, for about another 50 listens, Icky Thump has done the job of turning me into a White Stripes fan all over again. This is a band that just doesn't disappoint, a modern day classic rock band that really deserves every word published about them.

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