Borrowing a page from the Radiohead book of re-imagined marketing, the Raconteurs - the so-called super group featuring White Stripes wunderkind Jack White and Detroit popmeister Brendan Benson - rush-released their sophomore album via the internet with physical copies on store shelves the very next day. However, that’s not the headline here; the big news is how the band has effectively congealed in the two years since their debut and elevated their energy level by an inordinate amount of decibels.
Indeed, Consolers of the Lonely shows the Raconteurs channeling their inner Zeppelin, resulting in a style and stance that’s not only rowdier and rockier, but also considerably more retro-infused. That much is evident throughout, from the tattered look of its cover photo to the obvious emulation of such ‘70s-era hard rock heroes as AC/DC, Heart, Humble Pie, Grand Funk, Bad Company and, of course, Plant, Page and company. The opening wallop delivered by the title track and the raucous thrash of “Salute Your Solution” launch the set at a fevered pace, a delirious onslaught that’s further sustained by “Hold Up,” “Five on the Five” and a ragged remake of Terry Reid’s “Rich Kid Blues.”
Fortunately, there’s variance of sorts in the rough-hewn ramble “Old Enough,” the swaggering Stones-like “Pull This Blanket Off,” a woozy, boozy “Top Yourself” and the acoustic coda, “Caroline Drama,” the latter being a warbled backwoods narrative offering nods to Kings of Leon. However, with that last reference being the most contemporary and the overall volume fixed at max, consider Consolers of the Lonely a literal blast from the past.
--Lee Zimmerman [April 19, 2008]
