The Raconteurs - BrokenBoy Soldiers

Mon 15th May, 2006 in Music Reviews

The Raconteurs, or Saboteurs as they are known in Australia, have created a stir of press since their conception, usually revolving around the headline of ‘Jack Whites’ new band’ or ‘Benson / White super-group.’ Such hype builds an inherent form of prejudice that is impossible to escape, until you listen to Broken Boy Soldiers that is.

The album, recorded in Le Grand Studios, aka Benson’s attic, somehow manages to fit a wide range of pop, blues/bluegrass, and folk into a rollercoaster ride spanning just over half an hour.  And, without a moment to catch a breath between tracks, what a ride it is.

The songwriting, vocal and guitar duties of The Raconteurs are shared by Jack White and Brendan Benson, with the other two members of the quartet hailing from The Greenhornes – long-term tour buddies of The White Stripes – with Jack Lawrence on bass, and Patrick Keeler on the drums.

The opener and single, ‘Steady, As She Goes’ fools the listener into a false sense of White Stripes nostalgia, with a classy bassline intro and White’s familiar vocal style and distortion. Any such candy-coloured remembrance is firmly removed and put to rest for good in the second track, ‘Hands’, with Benson offering a pleasing blend of indie ‘woo hoo’s and melodic pop-rock. This sense of playfulness sets the perfect stage for the favorite ‘Intimate Secretary’, with chirpy poppy lyrics like “I’ve got a rabbit that likes to hop / I’ve got a girl that likes to shop’ that can’t help but put a smile on your dial, and make you realise how much fun The Raconteurs are having with this record.

Broken Boy Soldiers then journeys into some psychedelic bliss, with the title track, ‘Yellow Sun’ and ‘Together’ allowing White and Benson to explore their personal Beatlesque and Velvet Underground fantasies, taking us all on board for the ride.

‘Level’ serves as a kind reminder of how fortunate The Raconteurs are to feature such talented musicians, with a unique blend of bluesy lyrics “My baby’s on the level / I try to read her mind / She’s on the straight and narrow / I’m guessin’ all the time” and a funky fuzz coming from a friendly banter between White and Benson guitars and synthesizers; a style that resonates in the proceeding tack ‘Store Bought Bones’ – the B side to the ‘Steady As She Goes’ single. 

By the close of bluesy finale ‘Blue Veins’, it is clear that The Raconteurs are much more than simply a collaboration of established artists that happen to include rock god Jack White – they are a new band, a new array of sounds and a new sense of fun, which, without this unique blend of musicians, would have been otherwise inconceivable.

Perhaps the most appealing aspect of this record is how easily White and Benson translate their obvious enjoyment of the music they are making, and the people they are making it with, into half an hour of fun for everyone. The ability of Broken Boy Soldiers to strike the perfect balance between this feel of enjoyment, and to cover such a wide range of musical styles in a truly unique form, ensures that it will be one of 2006’s finest.