Broken Boy Soldiers

by

The Raconteurs

Edit

Ive been pumped about this release since i first heard Jack White would be teaming with Brenden Benson about a year ago. Upon hearing it i must say im a little dissapointed, not because this is a bad record, but because my expectations were so high. The album is short and sweet, which makes for a smooth enjoyable listen, but for as good as song writers as White and Benson are, this album is lacking. There some bright spots, Broken Boy Solider might be the coolest song White has recorded since White Blood Cells, Steady As She Goes is good too, Intimate Secretary has some cool things going on. There are just too many mediocre songs for such a short album. Hands is an enjoyable listen, but i cant help but think im listening to Radiohead's The Bends (the song not the album) everytime i hear that opening guitar riff. Together is another enjoyable listen, but uses a pretty standard chord progression, which from a song writing perspective, seems like taking the easy way out. The lyrics leave something to be desired as well. Steady As She Goes and Broken Boy Solider are the only songs that are interesting lyrically. Im not one to discredit an album do to unintersting lyrics, I usually look at good lyrics as an added bonus to a good song, but Benson, who is a clever lyricist, seems to have gotten lazy with his songs. Lines like "can we call it a day, now would that be okay" or "Yellow sun is shining in the afternoon" Both just seem like lame ways to start off songs. It'd be one thing to sneack boring lines like that in the middle of the song where they'd go less noticed, but to open songs like that just says to me that he wasnt giving it his all.

If your a die hard Jack White and/or Brendon Benson fan, then you probably already have this one, if your a casual White or Benson fan than i would reccomend having one of your die hard White Stripes fan friends burn it for you.