What do you get when you mix a rock fundamentalist with a one-man band? A gigantic creative force with some hefty musical output sounds about right. So goes the story of Jack White of the White Stripes and Brendan Benson, a native of Detroit and longtime friend of White. Joining them are bassist Jack Lawrence and drummer Patrick Keeler of the Greenhornes, an established alt-rock band from Cincinnati. \nThe Raconteurs materialized in the summer of 2005 and gained experience playing together when the Greenhornes opened for the White Stripes on the North American leg of their tour last year. Even though songs from their debut album Broken Boy Soldiers leaked onto the Internet more than a month before its official release date, the Raconteurs have surged ahead with confidence and are about to embark on a tour covering dates in North America and Europe. \nSoldiers strikes a nice balance between acoustic and electric tracks. The quirky psychedelic riff on "Level" sounds like White and Benson are playing their guitars underwater. That, teamed with a vintage 1960's fuzz guitar sound, makes it one of the standout tracks on the album. Another critical component in this song and other heavier numbers is the Vox organ, which has been revived after bands like Deep Purple popularized it in the 1970s. \nAs the album cover \nsuggests, these four occasionally play like a bunch of bruised-knuckled bar mongers on some rousing tracks. The band's broiling attitude bursts through especially on "Store Bought Bones," a raucous number that matches perfectly with a pub brawl. It displays White's classic frenzied guitar work and includes a frantic jam section towards the end with all instruments indulging in a few solo measures. \n "Blue Veins" presents an interesting midsection as well as some masterful studio engineering. One of the verses, sung by White, is looped backwards and creates an eerie effect that fits well with the bitterly lamenting lyrics. Hollow guitar sounds and a shuffling drum beat on the title track resemble a White Stripes tune, and references to boyish mischief and petty guilt in the lyrics assist in making it an easy favorite on the album. \n"Together" drags a bit and diminishes the overall flow of the album with its flat changes and repetitive lyrics, but it otherwise serves as one of only two disruptive tracks, along with "Call it a Day," that weakens Broken Boy Soldiers.\nTo a certain extent, the other three members tame White's rock savagery that has been familiar on White Stripes albums. Throughout he steps down as frontman and lets Benson take the mic. Interestingly enough the two seemingly polar opposite musical personalities form a becoming combination. Benson's warm low voice compliments White's high-pitched yowl on most tracks, and the two often create harmonies as well. \nWhile the album may lack an overall flow from track to track, there's a strong effort on many songs. An odd mixture of four-part Beatle-esque harmony and a blasé lyrical delivery on "Call it a Day" sounds a little conflicted. But the talent's right there, and the future looks promising for the Raconteurs if and when they collaborate on a second release.
\n--Dan Hopmann
