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When I first found out about the super-group The Raconteurs, which included one of my favorite current musicians Jack White,
I was ecstatic. For all these years, Jack White (the singer/songwriter/guitar-God behind the White Stripes) had needed to
carry most of the weight of his band, with only Meg White continuing a steady percussive pounding on the drum set in the background.
However, now that Jack White has joined up with his buddies Brendan Benson and two members of the group The Greenhornes, he
has a substantial band backing him up. White actually shares leading responsibilities with Benson for The Raconteurs debut
album. Broken Boy Soldiers is a brief listen, comprised of 10 mid-60s-ish garage pop tunes. There are definitely some stand
out tracks that make you a believer in the band's predetermined strength, such as "Broken Boy Soldier"; and "Level".
However, many of the songs are surprisingly less daring than I had predicted. I'll admit that the lighthearted "Together"
may be my favorite song so far this year. But many songs like "Yellow Sun"; and "Call It A Day" just don't
have that gusto that I was so excitedly anticipating. While Broken Boy Soldiers is definitely a solid side-project for Jack
White and the other members, let's just say this; it's no White Stripes album.
Key Tracks:
Broken Boy Soldier
Together
Level
Final Verdict: 7.2
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