Icky Thump is an odd record indeed, the record that some people thought we may not see from The White Stripes. But as they’ve proven oddness comes naturally to them, the unique chemistry between Jack and Meg, just oozes brilliance from the get go. It’s clear the duo haven’t lost their old magic and Icky Thump is brilliant, there’s no way around it.
Stuttering Mariachi machismo. Slick studio radio glam. Jukebox boogie and comedic skirts. With this bold bunch of bizarre rock transformations the White Stripes album Icky Thump is a strong rival against its competition, blurring the boundaries and breathing new life into rock with its peculiar clash of experimental sound.
After the success of Jack White’s other band the Raconteurs, there was a tense anticipation to see what The White Stripes would bring to the table if they were to rival Jack’s successes. Yet reunited the duo turned into a powerhouse, mirroring their furious flare in their comeback album Icky Thump.
This album is a glorious return to old-school White Stripes. Blossoming from their transitional album Get Behind Me Satan, Icky Thump makes its intentions clear from the offset delivering a more mature sound creative sound, blending electrifying guitar riffs, thumping drums and a squealing keyboard sound that cuts through with raw, bruising intensity.
Messing with your mind on the title track of the album, the eerie keyboard riffs reverberate off the track as if they are being played backwards. In truth it’s hard to know what to make of the sound but with the song whirling on repeat, the keyboard brings a complete fresh edge to the track making the question of its necessity a real talking point for the track.
In a typically perverse Stripes move, the insanity of the title track is followed by ‘You Don’t Know What Love Is’, probably the most accessible track on the album that Jack has written. A slice of deliciously, uplifting almost country-rock, it’s a song so instantly familiar you’d think it was a nostalgic cover track.
The only obscure cover version on the album is the ‘Berserk Conquest’, a rendition of an old Patti Page song, filled with blasts of mariachi trumpets it will have you staring at your speakers in utter wonder. It’s certainly a crash of mental sounds but it does make a kind of delirious sense.
The album is a staple celebration of crazed sound, at times it seems like Jack and Megan are completely delusional. Especially in the inconsequential ‘St Andrews’, ninety seconds of Megan speaking over bagpipes will have your finger hovering over the skip button.
Yet that’s the only time that Icky Thump wavers as an album. The second half is stunning, ‘Rag and Bone’ skips along irresistibly with bantering lyrics entwining sweetly. While ‘I’m Slowly Turning Into You’ reverberates shuddering slabs of bluesy soul as a verse, before a crunching guitar riff introduce the chorus.
‘A Martyr For My Love for You’, shines through as one the best tracks on the album. A tale of the temptations of forbidden love, it crackles with raw power and energy, the leaves your heart yearning with its melancholy lyrics.
The joyful three chord strum of ‘Effect and Cause’ closes the album, and by this time it’s clear that The White Stripes have produced yet another masterpiece. Eccentric, exhilarating and in parts absolutely insane. Yet this deranged, way out sound is utterly compelling, even if you’re lost in the depths of confusion you’ll still be grinning with wonder. Icky Thump truly blurs the boundaries of rock and works in rejuvenating the magic of The White Stripes.
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