The Raconteurs: “Broken Boy Soldiers”
Take the best of The Beatles…you know, when they came back from Rishikesh, India after studying “transcendental meditation” with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and getting completely twisted on copious amounts opium. Mix in the sonic foundry of Led Zepplin, color it with an amber cloud of bong smoke and press it to vinyl. That’s how the debut release from The Raconteurs, “Broken Boy Soldiers” plays. The record is a time warp soundtrack to a comfy sofa and a small group of friends surrounded by empty cans of domestic beer and Chinese take-out on a late October evening somewhere in the mid-seventies.
A raconteur is one skilled in the art of storytelling. Nobody names a rock band like that anymore. Most new rock bands have numbers or initials in their name or some sort of weird, overthought reference to a subject matter way deeper than the band could ever hope to comprehend. The Raconteurs have brazen chops and they know it. The only real liner note accompanying the disc is a statement the reads: “Remember a time when all was not fine and up from the dingy sewers came four lousy thieves who flourished like trees behold The Raconteurs.”
The band is comprised of guitarist/vocalist Jack White (the band’s most celebrated member- best know for his work as one half of The White Stripes) and his basement tape buddy and alt-pop master, guitarist/keyboardist/vocalist Brendan Benson. The mid-western garage rock band The Greenhornes’ drummer Patrick Keeler and bassist Jack Lawrence serve as the supergroup’s gritty rhythm section.
The first single “Steady as She Goes” is a nice introduction to the album. It is reminiscent of The White Stripes single “Walking With a Ghost” (actually a Tegan and Sara cover) in both tone and cadence. The title track “Broken Boy Soldier” is the most raw and aggressive track on the album; conjuring images of Zepplin’s “Immigrant Song”. “Blue Veins”, the closing track of album is a soulful blues number also comparable to a Zep classic, “Dazed and Confused” off of Led Zepplin I. The album also has its share of garage pop fun, namely “Hands”, “Intimate Secretary” and “Yellow Sun”. There is very little filler on Broken Boy Soldiers which is a bonus due to the short play time of the 10 track album, a tiny 34 minutes. The only noticeable slowdown is the 5th track “Together” which would be the last song on the first side of a vinyl release.
The poetry in the songwriting is simple but poignant, the vocals are somewhat raw but sincere, the guitar work is outstanding and the drums and bass do not overstep their bounds. The album is a solid, well-produced mix of classic rock wonder and a glimmer of hope in a dying genre. This disc is a must for anyone who considers themselves a fan of true blues based rock music.
Key tracks: “Steady as She Goes”, “Hands”, “Broken Boy Soldier”
August 2006
