With time, comes a great reward. It is ever so rare that a band can actually get better as they move on instead of being good and then becoming just well, (add every band that sucks here). The White Stripes have built upon something that is so overlooked in the mainstream uninspired saturated rock and roll market. That thing I didn’t mention in the sentence before this one is simply song writing. Band’s today don’t find a real kick out of writing songs any more. Its more or less just words that sound good instead words that sound good and make the song a classic. Elephant, is this and more its an evolution of blues and infused rock. Jack and Meg White combine their talents to create something that over time will still be in our CD players and the songs will keep buzzing around in our heads.
The single entity that this album has that separates it form other White Stripes albums is that it adds a bass guitar, which in all respect isn’t a huge deal. But, in this case without any bass on any albums before this really shows that they do respect the instruments and know what power each one harnesses. For example in the lead track “Seven Nation Army” the bass on the stereo pounds and shakes your speakers as you hear this anthem of indignation screamed into the scratchy microphone circa Led Zeppelin. It all peaks as the guitar with its distorted airy feel peeks and crashes with each stroke of guitar. All enamored within the heavy mono-tone bass line. Other amazing songs on the album, could be tough not to call all of them amazing, are “Ball and Biscuit”, “The Hardest Button to Button”, “The Air Between My Fingers”, “There is No Hope For You Here”, and my personal favorite “Black Math”. All the songs on the album are quite amazing it’s very hard for me to explain the way this album makes you feel the first time you listen to it. It has a definite bravado to it. It makes you believe that somewhere out there someone still cares out the listener instead of their clothing lines and dubs.
This is an easy one for me to wrap up and give you the gist of it all. Flat out drop everything and slap down a two Lincolns and pop it in your car stereo and enjoy. This is my first 10. So don’t think I’m a music slut and just hand them out. I’m not like that. Trust me.
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