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Volume CXXXI, Number 22 |
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White Stripes revitalize grunge with new album
BRIAN DUNN
ORIENT STAFF
It's been a decade since Nirvana broke into the mainstream
and changed the face of rock music. Since then, a number of great bands
have followed in their wake and even pushed the boundaries in different
directions, most notably the groups of the mid 90s. However, after the
2nd, 3rd and 4th generations of grunge-it becomes abundantly clear that
a change is needed in the music industry (Don't believe me? It only takes
one word--Creed).
So because of the presence of this disposable, watered down "rock"
music, we often hear the question, "Is rock dead?" Well, the
answer is no. Why, you ask? There is a new emerging force in music- The
White Stripes. Well, not just The White Stripes, but along with their
garage counterparts like The Strokes and The Hives (and many others),
they look to blow away the sounds of the 90s just like Nirvana and the
others blew away the trash metal of the 80s.
This emerging sound is marked by its stripped down, basic garage sounding
rock n' roll approach. White Blood Cells, The White Stripes' third
album in as many years, is at the top of its genre.
Formed in 1997, The White Stripes are composed of two members-Jack and
Meg White (allegedly brother and sister). Jack is the lead vocalist and
only guitarist while Meg is the drummer and backup vocalist-no other members
or added sounds, just these two pounding away on their instruments.
Every song on White Blood Cells has a unique sound that differs
it from the next. This has often been a problem with garage-sounding bands
in the past-all too often it was hard to distinguish one song from the
next-however the extremely talented Jack and Meg White make each song
on the album stand out.
Most songs on the album stick above mid-tempo, like the intense yet very
irresistible track "Fell in Love with a Girl," which is already
receiving some radio play on modern rock stations. The heavy guitar crunch
and the awkward drumming pattern that these two produce make for an unpolished
yet very appealing sound.
Other notables include the opening track "Dead Leaves and the Dirty
Ground," as well as the addictive, "I'm finding it harder to
be a gentleman." The second single, "Hotel Yorba," a bluesy
acoustic track, is one of the best on the album.
White Blood Cells certainly won't top the charts as long as this 5th wave of grunge continues (or whatever it is now-who's really keeping track?), but when radio gives up on Nickelback, then be ready for Jack and Meg White to take over.