Home > Reno Music > CD Review > The Raconteurs, 'Consolers of the Lonely'

Backstory: The first Raconteurs album was a fairly modest affair, despite the immodest resumes of the group’s members—singer-songwriter Brendan Benson, bassist Jack Lawrence and drummer Patrick Keeler from acclaimed blues-rockers the Greenhornes, and of course, Jack White of the White Stripes. Just two years later, the foursome is back with a far more ambitious follow-up, incorporating more classic rock influences and more of White’s trademark axe shredding.

Why you should care: As much fun as the White Stripes continue to be, it’s terrific to hear the outrageously talented White flexing his muscles in a full band setting, accompanied by musicians who (apologies to Meg White) have the chops to keep up.

Verdict: With just 10 tracks clocking in at barely 35 minutes, “Broken Boy Soldiers” seemed only to hint at what this “supergroup” might be capable of. “Consolers” delivers on that promise with a vengeance—you won’t hear a more vital, energetic or creative rock record all year. Yes, White’s mighty riffage takes center stage on balls-out rockers like “Five on the Five” and the barnstorming title track, but the Raconteurs are equally impressive on rootsy rockers like the Benson-led “Old Enough” and dusty roadhouse ballads like “The Switch and the Spur” and White’s amazing album closer, “Carolina Drama.” The depth of musicianship and songwriting runs so deep on “Consolers” that it defies comparison to anything else in the modern era—you really have to go back to the Faces and Neil Young’s Crazy Horse to find anyone else mixing anthemic rock, blues, country and pop songcraft with this much skill. The Raconteurs have created one for the ages.

X-Factor: The Raconteurs released “Consolers” simultaneously in all formats, to all retail outlets, from iTunes to Wal-Mart to mom ‘n’ pop record stores, with no advance press or promotional singles. “We wanted to get this record to fans, the press, radio, etc., all at the EXACT SAME TIME,” the band said in a statement, “so that no one has an upper hand on anyone else regarding its availability, reception or perception.” As much as we here at Metromix do like our advance press copies, we have to give the Raconteurs props for letting the music speak for itself.

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