Review (mini): The White Stripes - Icky Thump

Well I guess it’s about time I put up my thoughts on the White Stripes new album “Icky Thump”. I have put it off long enough, I feel I have listened to it long enough and let me tell you, I love it. First off I am a big WS fan to begin with, so with any new album that comes, there is a bit of nervousness that comes when listening for the first time, hoping that it will live up to what has come before it. I purposely did not listen to any advance tracks before the release of this album, and I am glad that I didn’t, making it easier to digest this beast of an album at once, with no preconceived notions of where it was heading.

“Icky Thump” is at it roots a blues album. There are times; especially on the title track (a first for the band) it seems that Jack is directly channeling Led Zeppelin at the height of their blues recording. Something that I find quite amazing to hear. It is this ability to play the blues so well that makes this album what it is. While being grounded in blues, you will not find anything here that reminds you of “Get Behind Me Satan”, but more in the vein of “White Blood Cells” making this album their most rock oriented to date. Getting back to bass rattling drums and ear piercing guitar solos, this is The White Stripes sound that fans fell in love with.

One thing that really stands out about this album is how good Meg’s drumming sounds. For years listeners have wished her to be more technical on the drums, but in this record she sounds great. It reveals that she really can do more than just play simple drum backup to the whine of Jack’s guitar. Speaking of Jack’s guitar, I am convinced that he will be remembered as one of greats of the modern rock era. His natural talent seems endless, and his ability to evoke and tie together so many different sounds is simply amazing and a thrill to listen to.

Icky Thump took the longest to record of any White Stripes album to date, and you can hear the attention to detail in every song, everything sounds pure and crisp – all around a superbly produced album. While this album is not my favorite from Jack and Meg (that is reserved for White Blood Cells) it is still amazing and certainly one their strongest.

9.1/10