Icky Thump can easily be considered the most fun and enjoyable album of 2007. Everything relating to the album’s release, from the camera promotion to the Beck collaborated b-sides were just fascinating to experience and write about. Yet, it’s the remarkable guitar playing of Jack White and the catchy drum beats of his “little sister” Meg that still produce some of the infectious music around, and what continues to separate them from nearly every other of those “rock bands”. What makes Icky Thump different from previous White Stripes’ albums is it’s fullness and expanded musicality. After all, who would of thought we’d ever hear bagpipes or the sound of a mariachi band on an album from a band has made their reputation from the fury of an electric guitar?
And this is where you have to give Jack White credit. Without a doubt, I enjoy listening to no one more playing their respective instrument than Jack White. Is he in the same class as Hendrix, Clapton, or Jimmy Page? Probably not, but there is just something about the the way he plays his guitar. And more often than not, it’s the sound of the guitar, and not the vocals of White that does most of the talking for the band. While Icky Thump certainly has it’s share of rock tunes, you have to give White credit for his experimentation. And as it turned out, two of the albums most diverse song, “Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn” and “Conquest” turned out to be two of it’s best. In the end however, it’s “Rag & Bone” that steals the show, and what exemplifies everything great about the White Stripes – the positive energy, the witty, but still smart lyrics, and the typical astonishing guitar solo. Even in their most experimenting of states, Icky Thump still show why they’re one of our best modern day rock bands.
Buy the album on Amazon.com
Check Out:
“Icky Thump”
“Conquest”