Rob’s Album of The Week: Jack White’s No Name
Ever since I first saw the music video for The White Stripes’ “Fell In Love With A Girl” on MTV as teenager, I’ve been a fan of everything Jake White has been involved in. This ranges from his other bands The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather along with the many other projects he’s been a part of. His solo stuff has been his most peculiar, with some songs having inklings of pop and psychedelia while others show off his chops that make him worthy of being a modern rock & roll icon. White’s latest album, which goes by No Name, initially came out on July 19 via his Third Man Records store locations in Detroit, London and Nashville, but was released on a wide scale on August 2.
This full-length has an abundance of energy and emphasis that’s conveyed through White’s amplified guitar and up front vocal delivery. It’s a definitive return to his punk blues roots and it’s a welcome re-arrival for the enigmatic artist. There’s no letdown as it goes along, each tune hits the senses like a boxer in a title fight. Certain chords are hooks and jabs while the riffs are the uppercuts. It’s already one of my favorite records to come out in 2024 and other people should feel the same way after giving it a listen.
There’s a certain amount of nostalgia that comes through listening to the album, despite it being brand spankin’ new. This feeling is provided through how it harks back to White’s creative foundation. That melding of Detroit birthed punk rock & blues is something I absolutely love. I don’t know exactly why, but the way it wafts to the ears has the ability to be exhilarating. Another thing that has the ability to be exhilarating are my top tracks off of the Album of The Week, so here they are:
The chorus for “That’s How I’m Feeling” is relatively simple, but I love the force behind the structure and arrangements. It has that trademark loud-quiet-loud quality, which comes across in excellent fashion. “Bombing Out” has some serious Ramones and Black Flag vibes. There are constant driving riffs while the lyrics are a bit more poetic than in the other songs. I also enjoy the funkiness within “Number One With A Bullet”.
White and his band have a string of festival dates coming up with the first one being at Way Out West in Gothenburg, Sweden on August 8. Other ones include Øyafestivalen in Oslo on the following day, Syd For Solen in Copenhagen on August 10 and Desert Daze happening in Rancho Las Perris, California from October 11–13. White made a buzz around New England when he made an appearance as part Conan O’Brien’s closing set at this year’s Newport Folk Festival, so hopefully he comes back to this region sometime soon. In the meantime, grab a copy of his new album. It’s so good that it doesn’t require a proper title.
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