Jack White has shared a brand new studio single, titled “Taking Me Back”, which saw a release on Monday via Third Man Records. The new single arrived with multiple versions, the raucous “Taking Me Back” and more delicate “Taking Me Back (Gently)”.
While White and Third Man Records did release The Raconteurs‘ Help Us Stranger back in 2019, “Taking Me Back” marks White’s first solo studio output since 2018’s Boarding House Reach and first solo single since “Ice Station Zebra” the same year. The release of “Taking Me Back” serves as a reprieve for fans who have been teased by appearances from White on Saturday Night Live, and the opening of Third Man Records’ London location, performing with his recently-formed three-piece band consisting of drummer Daru Jones and bassist Dominic John Davis.
Notably, the 12-time Grammy Award winner self-produced the singles at Third Man Records headquarters in Nashville, TN. White also handled all vocals and instrumentation, which is a unique twist to this project. On Sunday, White previewed “Taking Me Back” on Instagram, which arrived as the backing track to the Call of Duty: Vanguard video game trailer.
Monday saw the song’s official release, which came paired with a lyric video containing footage from the forthcoming Call of Duty. The song’s thick and fuzzily distorted guitar cuts through visual explosions on-screen while his hearty vocals sing atop a pulsating rhythm section. Lyrically, the track seemingly describes a difficult situation regarding love, but musically, White’s instrumentation pairs wonderfully with the disastrous and near-apocalyptic World War II setting of COD: Vanguard.
The gentler version of “Taking Me Back” is just that: gentler. Much gentler. This alternate rendition hears White channel his early 1900s influences, as folk instrumentation and swing rhythms appear throughout. His vocals hop and skip over an acoustic guitar, fiddle, stand-up bass, and even jazzy lines on an old, beaten-down piano.
Listen to both versions of the new Jack White single, “Taking Me Back”, below and click here for additional listening options. While there has been no indication of a new album from White, stay tuned to the Third Man Records website for the latest information.
Jack White – “Taking Me Back” (Lyric Video)
Jack White – “Taking Me Back (Gently)