The Raconteurs: Consolers Of The Lonely

The Raconteurs
Consolers Of The Lonely
Warner Bros. Records [2008]









Fire Note Says: I know it is still early but Consolers Of The Lonely is likely the best "true" rock record for 2008!

Album Review:
I know everyone was surprised last week when The Raconteurs announced their sophomore album Consolers Of The Lonely was not only finished but was coming out this past Tuesday. No promos, no videos, no radio singles – absolutely nothing but the album hitting the street. At first you might think this record may be like the movies that aren’t screened for critics because they suck but Consolers Of The Lonely is one of the best true to form rock records I have heard in awhile and I guarantee it will land in our Blazing Top 25 at years end. What I like most about this record is that it has a classic rock vibe to it with big guitars, loud drums, commanding lead vocals and thumping bass that is present regardless of the tracks tempo. Unlike their first record Broken Boy Soldiers [2006], Consolers does not have as many harmonic pieces but relies more on the striking front vocals from Jack White and Brendan Benson that bring to mind the way past greats Zeppelin or Aerosmith recorded. This back and forth of leads not only works in the bands favor but the rotation on the mic is seamless. What is most reminiscent here of the 70s sound is the big rock n roll songs like the title kickoff track and “Salute Your Solution”, which have solid screaming guitars that will knock you down and possess an unstoppable swagger that just oozes cool. The record is then balanced with several mid tempo numbers that offer the same confidence but compliment the harder edges. The band is musically tight and even though you could see this band rocking out back in the day, there are elements that modernize it, like the inclusion of trumpets on “The Switch And The Spur” and several White Stripes/Greenhornes moments that remind you of where these guys came from. Consolers Of The Lonely is full of high octane tracks and heavy hitters that quite frankly made it hard to pick favorites because each gets better with every spin. The timelessness of the album will give it life in your player well beyond this year and will easily be one of my favs for quite some time.

Key Tracks: "Salute Your Solution", "Hold Up", "Many Shades Of Black"

Bands With Similar Fire:
Led Zeppelin
Aerosmith
T. Rex

The Raconteurs: Broken Boy Soldiers [Fire Note Review 5/17/06]

Official Raconteurs Website
The Raconteurs MySpace
The Raconteurs Info [Allmusic]
Warner Bros. Records

-Reviewed by Aidan Rox