Broken Boy Soldiers, The Raconteurs

Steady As She Goes
Hands
Broken Boy Soldier*
Intimate Secretary
Together*
Level*
Store Bought Bones
Yellow Sun
Call It A Day
Blue Veins

The Raconteurs and their debut album, aptly named Broken Boy Soldiers, might just qualify as turning a few heads.

As a previous listener I have never been a big fan of Jack White of the White Stripes. But on this album he has other elements to calm him down, considerably the unexpected talents of Brendan Benson. Now I am not establishing Jack White or Brendan Benson as geniuses on this album. Only aspects of White's musicianship are helpful, namely the blues guitar stylings of Level, and the cryptic vocal quality of the album's title track. Where the band really shines is in the composition of Brendan Benson.

A track like Together is reminiscent of John Lennon or George Harrison of the Beatles. It is a beautifully melancholy addition to the album that would easily be the best track if it weren't for the obnoxious background vocals of White. He insists on being eccentric in every aspect of his playing, and therefore cheapens the sincerity of Benson's quiet lyrical aptitude. He even sings louder as a background vocalist than Benson does as the lead.

The two clearly get along in the end though, contributions like the title track Broken Boy Soldiers, Level, and Blue Veins, are honestly very surprising. Especially the title track, with its hypnotic rhythmic undertones in an ominous sounding tune. It even explains the playfulness of the rest of the album. Descriptions lyrically of a boy who attempts to grow up but in the end lapses and never matures are alleghorical of the band itself. There is an attempt here to make an album as serious musicians but the band chooses not to take themselves too seriously. In other words, this is a tongue-in-cheek pop/rock album with some catchy songs, some sincere ones, and a few bad ones (the biggest downer is the sheer audacity of repeating the first half of Call it a Day exactly to make it almost 4 minutes of nasally whining instead of 2).

Overall though, Broken Boy Soldiers, though nothing epic, is a fine album. It displays adequate musicianship and a diverse understanding of popular music. Think of it this way, if a student gets a C, did they learn anything? Probably. So was it worth teaching that student? Of course, and in that line of thinking this album is worth a listen... just not much more.

Grade: C+