The Good: Amazing percussion, Distinctive sound, Nice lyrics
The Bad: Musically repetitive
The Basics: With a distinctive rock sound, The White Stripes assure their place in any music lover's collection by providing an album full of diverse themes with Elephant.
It is a rare thing that I have access to cable television. I travel quite a bit and that is usually the only time I get that particular indulgence. To be honest, though, I have a thing for music videos. It's probably better I don't have cable, as I would likely watch music television all day and night, provided there was still a channel that actually showed music videos. It was a bit of a fluke, then, that I caught the video "Seven Nation Army" on VH-1 one Sunday morning while I was on the road. The truth is, I was blown away. The video was different, edgy and the music was just plain rockin'.
"Seven Nation Army" is the first track on The White Stripes' album Elephant, and the truth is, it is an amazing song even without the visuals. The White Stripes are clearly starting their album off on the strongest foot with a rock song that cannot be denied. With its strong guitar and powerful drumming, "Seven Nation Army" is a marching anthem that is almost impossible to resist turning the volume up on.
But that is only one song on this fourteen track disc. After the first five tracks, it becomes quite clear to the listener that The White Stripes has a distinct and unique sound. The band is a duet made up of Jack and Meg White. The sound they make is distinctive in that it consists of three instruments - guitar, drums and piano - and two voices. Nothing more.
I have never listened to an album where the percussion was as important as on Elephant. Meg White establishes herself as a hard-working drummer who plays with sheer passion and volume. It is a rare thing for a drummer to succeed in making the drums an expressive instrument, but Meg White does it on Elephant, often by changing the beat pattern mid-beat to alter the tone abruptly. She does it amazingly.
More than that, Meg has a great voice. On the quiet "In the Cold, Cold Night," it comes through beautifully, sounding like an instrument of its own. Her voice rings out with amazing clarity, articulation and range; everything one would want from a singer, but too often produced-over in today's musical world. The White Stripes take a lot of pride on the album over the fact that computers had nothing to do with the album and its sound. Hearing Meg's voice on the above-mentioned track and "Well It's True That We Love One Another" make it clear why a band would want to make that boast.
Outside the vocals, that accomplishment seems rather pointless. It's wonderful that Elephant succeeds without the use of computers to influence the sound, but that's no reason in general to disdain or fear them.
Regardless of that, Elephant is a success and while the sound of many of the songs is distinctive, it is also somewhat repetitive. "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself" sounds a great deal like "The Hardest Button To Button" with its overbearing guitars and the screeching of Jack White.
That is not to say that Jack White does not have an excellent voice. He has a great voice and his ability to work it around tricky, complicated lyrics like those in "I Want To Be The Boy To Warm Your Mother's Heart" is impressive. Jack does an amazing job drawing the listener in with his sharp lyrics and emotional voice.
Ultimately, Elephant is a rock album with catchy tunes unlike what you've heard before. It sounds most like British pop (like Oasis) with a heavier edge. The magic of this White Stripes album is in the finely crafted lyrics that are not afraid to be full of words and long stanzas. The songs tell stories ("Little Acorns," "The Hardest Button To Button"), delve into emotions like loss ("You've Got Her In Your Pocket") and are just plain funny ("Well It's True That We Love One Another"). Elephant is a nice mix of themes that makes the album consistently . . . fun to listen to.
Fun, with depth, is a rare mix, but this rocking album succeeds. The best tracks are "Seven Nation Army" and "In The Cold, Cold, Night." The weak link is the lyrically repetitive "Girl, You Have No Faith In Medicine."
For other rock album reviews, please visit:
Foiled - Blue October
Mad Season By Matchbox Twenty - Matchbox Twenty
Forty Licks - The Rolling Stones
8/10
For other music reviews, please be sure to visit my Music Index Page for an organized listing!
© 2012, 2004 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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