The Raconteurs - 'Consolers Of The Lonely' (XL) Released 24/03/08

The plaintive closing time piano Ballard ‘You Don’t Understand Me’ allows us a chance to pause for reflection, like a stripped down outtake from ‘Let It Be’ before Phil Spector spilled his warped brilliance all over it.  

This album is a lesson in economy for all the young gunslingers currently hiring in 1000- piece orchestras for their second albums. At no point does it feel self-indulgent, there isn’t a single instrument or lyric that doesn’t have a purpose and it is full of surprises. These include the country swing of ‘Old Enough’, demonstrating just why Loretta Lynn hired White to produce her most recent album. Elsewhere, we find minimal outbursts of brass, bar-room brawl cymbal crashes, the fierce satire of ‘Rich Kid Blues’, the metallic anguished riffs of ‘Five On The Five’ and the Indie dance floor march of ‘Hold Up’, the latter perfectly underpinned by Benson’s scorching lead vocal.       

Of course, they are outlaws and you’re going to have to accept this album on their terms entirely. If you’re looking for any kind of dance crossover bleeps or truly forward thinking approaches to production then look elsewhere. It could have been released anytime from 1967 to the present day. Thankfully, they have the songs and sense of timeless storytelling to knock you clean off your feet time after time.    

So, we have a 360 degree whirlwind journey straight through the heart of darkness in all of the rock greats- The Who, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, T-Rex, Rolling Stones.    

As both a celebration of these influences and a striking testament to the ability to make age old statements in new and compelling ways, ‘Consolers of the Lonely’ is a remarkable record.