Music has always been a sucker for the song, not the album. Singles are in as much, if not higher demand nowadays, than albums; especially on the pop charts. And why shouldn't they be. Heck, with todays technology, I could hash out and produce a single (quality aside) with my laptop in a day, maybe less, and judging from the quality of most of the radio, that's exactly what happens now. Honestly, singles have held their own throughout music history, ever since the dawn of the recording device. Theres nothing wrong with releasing hits by themselves. I guess I just appreciate a planned album that works together much more. It's one thing to write a great song, but to write anywhere from 7-20 songs and make them all fit together as one superfluous work of art takes something a little bit more special. If I haven't ever told you before, Jack White is one of my idols. The man is a living legend, creating music where he sees fit, with no higher men in suits affecting his output at all. He is passionate, genius, and original, all at the same time. Most people know him for his duo with his "sister" Meg White, The White Stripes. This two piece band produced six of the most ferociously simple, but effective albums of all time. People will argue that the band is a lot of noise, but if you have ever seen the band actually perform, you can instantly connect with what they were doing. However, as Jack Whites already amazing talent soared higher with each new album, Meg kind of stayed grounded in her simple drumming, which worked for a long time, but started to hold Jack back. The band took a hiatus, and Jack formed his folk rock brethren, The Raconteurs. I don't own their first album, but the second, Consolers Of The Lonely, is one of my all-time favorites; an album at its best. However, the band also took a break two years ago, and Jack formed his new, harder rocking, band, The Dead Weather, in its wake.
The Dead Weather consists of Jack, Allison Mosshart (The Kills and Discount), Dean Fertita (Queens of The Stone Age), and Jack Lawrence (The Raconteurs and The Greenhornes). the band started from an impromptu jam session at Jack's newly established Third Man Records. The band slowly began writing songs, and within two weeks of the meeting, Horehound was born.
The most interesting thing about Jack is that he is an ambassador of the old. He dresses like a souther gothic John Dillinger. He owns a house outside of Nashville that is antique to the core, including the instruments found in its doors. Jack likes his guitars real, and barely messed with. There was a great documentary that came out last year called It Might Get Loud that documents stories and techniques from Jack (The Electric Purist), The Edge (King of the Soundboard), and Jimmy Page (He's snuggly in the middle). The movie is a must for any rock fans, and it has some amazing showcases of how to really play the old six-string. The greatest scene in the whole movie is a DIY workshop on how to make a guitar, Macgruber style; with a 2X4, some wire, and a glass coke bottle. He throws it together in five minutes, and plays it on the spot, and it is the greatest. The movie is a great waste of two hours, and features some great songs, including a group effort through The Bands classic, "The Weight".
Ta da!
I say all of this to instill the old time morals found in The Dead Weather's being. Horehound is like the last musings of Clint Eastwood, if Clint Eastwood was a serial killer. It's dark, and forceful, and rough, but the music provokes a cathartic reaction, not only conveying its dark emotions on the listener, but evoking them in the listener themselves. Seriously, I listened to this album straight through, and got pretty pissed off. Why? I don't know. It just did it to me. However, I haven't been mad sense. It's weird stuff, but I've had a great weekend, even when having to put up with some bad stuff I didn't want to do.
Honestly, I could tell you about specific songs on this album, but 1) that would be somewhat against what I've been saying about this album, and 2) wouldn't do it justice in any way, shape, or form. I can't do it. The songs are dark, musky, even hard to listen to, but it's amazing. the music is powerful, and it takes some time to mentally decode. If you take the time out of your day to free your mind, and let this album play, it will affect you in some way. I'll warn you, this band is not for the folk diet. If all you listen to is Nickel Creek and Ray Lamontagne, you will very likely not like this album, at all. Who knows, I don't. It's a confusing piece. But it's one of the coolest things I have ever heard. So if you're game, listen to the whole thing, start to finish, and thank Jack White for sharing his ability to anyone who will listen.
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