Rocker, record producer, and Third Man Records founder Jack White is always keeping busy, whether he’s working on music with projects like Dead Weather or The Raconteurs, releasing solo material, or welcoming other artists into his Nashville studio. It had been a while since we’d heard from White, so the surprise release of his new single “Battle Cry” yesterday isn’t truly all that surprising. Listen to the anthemic 2.5 minute track below:
The track is a typically-ripping Jack White guitar romp, with the only vocal portions coming in the form of sparse chants and athletic grunts. “Battle Cry” was written specifically for a new promotional film from baseball bat company Warstic, of which White is a partial owner. White himself also appears in the film alongside MLB all-star Ian Kinsler. The YouTube description for the video explains what’s going on in the action-packed one-minute clip entitled “Warcry: The Battle of the Hawk & the Raven,” which you can view below via the Warstic YouTube page:
“A professional baseball player (Ian Kinsler) battles to get his mind right in the locker room before a big game. He struggles to find focus as the crowd noise outside the locker signals the impending war. We see inside the inside the psyche of the hitter.
The hitter is taunted by a raven spirit, played by a dark, shadowy trickster-type figure (Jack White), who plays mind games with the hitter. He challenges his faith. Does he really believe in himself? Is he fearless? Does he have the grit to endure the war? The Raven brings thoughts of fear (represented by fire) to escalate the perceived magnitude of the game. The Raven gets the hitter hyper-focused on past struggles in a training session, where he can’t get his mechanics synced up. The hitter is shown getting frustrated to the point of screaming at his bat as the Raven flashes images of death (skull) a to cloud the hitter’s fate.
A hawk spirit, represented by a Southeast Woodlands Native Hunter (Thosh Collins), sets out from his campsite in search of the hitter’s heart and mind. He carries the the power of higher perspective and clear site to quiet the hitter’s thoughts and help the hitter locate his mark. As the hawk pursues him faster, and gets closer, the hitter regains belief. The hitter selects and inspects his weapon (bat) and his confidence increases. He rises, and walks down the dark tunnel toward the arena. At the end of the tunnel the hitter is taunted one last time by the raven. The hitter directly acknowledges the raven’s existence, (fear), but passes by without hesitation and steps onto the field hungry for a kill and focused on his task.
As the hitter and hunter draw their weapons, the hitter’s mind is calm, and thru his steady breath the hunter spirit is called forward. Hitter and hunter are now one thought. Warrior. The game slows down for the Warrior as his focus comes to a razor sharp point. As the warrior raises his weapon (bat and arrow), the raven turns and walks away having accomplished his goal of transforming the hitter’s mentality from the hunted, to the to the hunter. We end with a war cry by the warrior.”
“Battle Cry” will also be released on limited edition, one-sided, gold colored 7-inch vinyl for Record Store Day 2017 (April 22nd).
[h/t – Consequence of Sound]