Premature Evaluation: The White Stripes - Icky Thump
Icky Thump raises big questions: Technically, can't a prostitute manage his or her own career? Will Jack and Meg ever check back into "Hotel Yorba"? Since checking out have either attempted the Ickey Shuffle? Or heard Icky Mettle or Icky Boyfriends? Maybe most important of all: Who'll risk a nasty phone call and make a joke about Jack's bygone "icky" mustache?
More essential than big questions, though, are big guitars (which, it should be noted, don't sound quite so large on the low-bit DJ Electra remix). Jack's six-stringer is what grabbed most folks early on and the candy-striped (or, well, mother-of-pearl bedecked) duo's sixth album, recorded in Nashville, is loose, shaggy guitar-centered fun. Favorite guitar moments include the crushing riffs and metal trills of "Little Cream Soda," "Effect And Cause"'s minimalist summertime blues, "Catch Hell Blues"' discordantly slippery swamp slide, the stoned childlike sing-a-long of "I'm Slowly Turning into You"'s outro, and that one pick-wielding Stereogummer's been playing the Dylan nodding, Beck loping "300mph Torrential Outpoor Blues" on his axe all week. Not to be outdone, Meg's drums have never smashed with such force or depth. Think about the 1999 self-titled debut with a gigantic sound: The Whites are creating their own two-strong seven-nation army leaving a trail of dirty leaves, dirty ground.
Themes of love lost, lost love, lost men, loss are joined by two counts of spoken word ("Meg, look at this place/Well, this place is like a mansion/It's like a mansion/Look at all this stuff"), sundry martyrs, graveyard/ruby shoes, various women folk (a six-foot 16 year old, a one-eyed redhead señorita, the aforementioned tangoing "Conquest" huntress) … and, well, someone went and got a "Bone Broke." As you may have heard, a parade of instruments adds additional flesh to the country-infused, Zeppelin-bluesy, sweet home Southern-rocking garage: Crazy-fingered keyboard noodles zigzag across the title track, Regulo Aldama's trumpet ups the drama of the Mike Patton-style Morricone-style cover of Corky Robbins' "Conquest," etc. Today's personal highlight is the Bagpiping, kilt-wearing water-dance "Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn," especially how the pipes drone speedily with scissoring guitar noise into "St. Andrew (This Battle Is in the Air)," Meg's spoken prayer to St Andrew, Patron Saint of Scotland. Note: There's no Ray Charles piano in the house. Throughout, it's like the brimming, fire-stoning Jack's changed positions with Satan ... those kids from the "My Doorbell" video should be awfully scared.
So, yes, we enthusiastically dig -- um, just how catchy is "You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You're Told)"? -- but a question remains. Which ex-Simpsons characters – M & J or Billy C and Co. – will rule the airwaves this summer?
Icky Thump is out 6/19 in the US on Warner Bros.
Posted at 4:08 PM in Premature Evaluation
Tags: Jack White | The White Stripes
I've never thought I'd be excited for a White Stripes album release, but the band is really growing on me. Maybe because I never expected them to grow as a band. I figured "Fake brother/sister blues rock duo with matching uniforms? I give them three albums before they're stale has-beens." But they've proven me wrong & have been a really good reminder that old fashioned rock & roll can still be a vital genre.
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i only have the piece of shit radio version, is there a better quality copy out there that leaked?
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oh noes!
don't "ruin the music business" with this blasphemous Icky Thump premature!
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I can't wait to buy this in a couple of weeks.
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this is gonna kill the punkins record. its not even gonna be close. the average listener really doesnt care about the punkins. its all about the stripes.
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"Meg, look at this place/It’s like a mansion/Look at all this stuff"
i'm getting a serious Little Mermaid vibe from this...excuse me while i kill myself for that reference...
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I stopped following the SP approximately 10 years ago. The White Stripes are celebrating their 10th anniversary this summer. Coincidence?
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Everything I've heard off this album is solid. Can't wait.
About this post, though: Are you guys just trying to make it hard?
Favorite guitar moments include the crushing riffs and metal trills of "Little Cream Soda," "Effect And Cause"'s minimalist summertime blues, "Catch Hell Blues"' discordantly slippery swamp slide, the stoned childlike sing-a-long of "I'm Slowly Turning into You"'s outro, and that one pick-wielding Stereogummer's been playing the Dylan nodding, Beck loping "300mph Torrential Outpoor Blues" on his axe all week.
Uh, someone want to diagram that one for me?
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Anyone want to post a link?
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I second the posting of a link. (A link for a non-radio rip version of the album, that is. I know some of you are sneaky.)
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i third the posting of a link. keep 'er going
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You guys need to stop reaching for the stars with your writing. "The Whites are creating their own two-strong seven-nation army leaving a trail of dirty leaves, dirty ground"? I mean, what the fuck is that? Holy Moses...
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So you're condoning downloading & having the album NOW, but a week ago everyone wanted to crucify Q101 for playing it over the air? A bit hypocritical...
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Everyone was probably just upset that they could only get that lousy radio rip last week. I agree with the Gum - this album is awesome. Jack brings the noise with that six-string of his, and Meg pounds like never before. Five star album, folks.
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who is writing stereogum these days? the prose is awful. you'd be better off hiring a bunch of junior high students to work on the site. you guys and gals should be embarassed. this white stripes post could go in the bad writing hall of fame. man, i used to love this site.
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Heidi Fleiss was a pimp and a prostitute. So, it can be done.
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seriously, who wrote this? it's like trying to be pretentious and can't even do that very well. and 'dirty leaves, dirty ground'? dead leaves, come on. for such an important album review you could have at least used someone with a minimal understanding of grammar and MORE than a minimal understanding of the white stripes. all the references are to past singles with videos, and the fact that they were once on the simpsons?? nice research!
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I'm really enjoying the album so far. I find that it follows through quite nicely on the single. That said, Jack & Meg's World Beat Adventure (a.k.a. St. Andrew blah blah blah) is kind of weak, if you ask me.
Otherwise, it's super-solid.
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Yeah, looks like this post is suffering from a serious case of adjectivitis. Seriously folks. Proofreading is not a dead technique.
Can't wait for the album though...
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Still more coherent than anything on Pitchfork. Haters, go to the AOL music blog or something.
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god damn people, take it easy with the haterade. so the writing is a bit flowery and smothered with home-cooked descriptors, but jesus, be a little supportive. i don't go off on a tirade every time i read something that i don't feel is just perfect. i certainly wasn't offended reading this piece, and i doubt any of you holier-than-thou critics were either. there'd be a whole lot more art for us to enjoy if people weren't such dicks all the time.
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I'm loving the album art. Kick-ass.
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luv the album but dont get the wee scot songs - has jack/meg discovered he/she has scottish ancestry?
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I thought the album was really sick- the Stripes are one of the only current bands making really good rock music. Jack White's amazing at what he does.
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