I’ll admit it – after admonishing Jack White in various news headlines over the past few weeks, I wasn’t expecting much from “Lazaretto.” The second Jack White solo album is due out on June 10th on his own Third Man Records, but can be streamed a week in advance through iTunes Radio.
So I tune into the album stream, because there really hasn’t been this much hype surrounding an album release since, I want to say Reflektor, and I’m treated to a groovy, gritty guitar riff of “Three Women.” It’s a silly song about being interested in three women – a blonde, brunette, and redhead, of course – but musically, this is a great song. White’s vocals and guitar playing are top notch.
The thing about Lazaretto is, well, you never really know what’s coming next. While the majority of tunes fall under this gritty blues-based rock category, there are a handful of bluegrassy offerings on the album, like “Temporary Ground.” White busts out the acoustic guitar for a more-melodic approach, but still brings the unbridled power of his yearning vocals on every track.
Lazaretto is a surprisingly good listen; a strong showing by a veteran musician. It’s streaming for free this week through iTunes radio, so judge for yourself.
Here are the two singles that were released previously, “Lazaretto” and “High Ball Stepper”
-David Melamed (@DMelamz)