I feel like I need to begin by stating that I do not own any albums by The White Stripes, The Greenhornes or Blanche – bands in which current members of The Raconteurs previously performed. As a matter of fact, the only exposure that I have from a band like The White Stripes comes from what
I hear on the radio. With that said, it should be clear that there are no biases here when I say that The Raconteurs rock. Their debut album Broken Boy Soldiers introduces itself to the world with a fuzzy storm of guitars in the whirlwind single “Steady, As She Goes.” From here the listener is treated to the harmony-soaked “Hands” in which vocalists Brendan Benson and Jack White both create surprisingly catchy melodies that tap into a vocal presence similarly produced by Robert Plant. Lyrically, the album fluctuates between a variety of sentiments that go from making its listener feel completely lovestruck to simply dumbstruck. (The following lyric from “Intimate Secretary” definitely left me scratching my head: Then on rubble of scummiest malarkey/Down with luck we’ll see Ecclesiarchy.) For the most part, though, Broken Boy Soldiers progresses with a somewhat monotonous energy. It does, however, suggest that The Raconteurs have distinct potential to generate their very own intriguing and refreshing brand of rock ‘n roll.
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