It seems fitting that the first line repeated on Consolers of the Lonely is “I’m bored to tears” as the Raconteurs’ second album proves to be an outlet for the creative extremes of Detroit singer/songwriters Brendan Benson and Jack White.
After the first track’s proclamation of boredom, Consolers of the Lonely takes off, and, while it all sounds familiar thanks to White’s unmistakable influence, each track features a completely unique sound and style. The third song, “You Don’t Understand Me,” attempts to steal the show early by being as one of the few songs on the album, bringing forth the contrast of White and Benson’s solos. It is hard not to enjoy this song’s simple and raw appeal, which was a main part of the success of the groups debut album, Broken Boy Soldiers. In contrast, “The Switch and the Spur” is found wanting in simplicity, making it a very rare miss, as it jumps around from wailing bass riffs to frenetic guitar solos. This leaves the song lacking focus and makes it harder to appreciate than the rest.
Overall, Jack White seems to be more dominant on this album, whereas the first time White, Benson and the rhythm section of the Greenhornes split the lead evenly. As a result, Consolers does not take advantage of the contrasting vocal styles of Benson and White as much, but it appears that White deserves the spotlight, as he has continued to develop his songwriting ability. His lyricism and delivery are in top form through most of the album, especially on the fantastically eerie ballad “Carolina Drama.”
More evidence of White’s oddly marvelous songwriting ability is the diversity of references to so many eclectic artists. The track “Top Yourself” draws from Led Zeppelin with a slide guitar riff that echoes Jimmy Page’s technique. Maybe it’s White’s uncanny ability to moan and weep like Robert Plant at times, or maybe it’s the underlying banjo that recalls some of Zeppelin’s best folk work, but whatever it is, the song effectively embraces it, creating an effortless and sinister success.
In the end, this album and White do not succeed just by being able to sound like so many classic artists, but it is impressive how he can write songs that can recall former artists, while maintaining White’s own influence and presence in his compositions. It appears as though Benson and White truly collaborate to cure their collective boredom on this album, which, luckily for listeners, results in a very intriguing track list filled with uniquely odd eccentricities from top to bottom that will surely cure the boredom of any rock fan.
