The White Stripes, “Elephant” (V2)
ByMay 4, 2003 10:00 PM
In the age of google-track studios and digital sampling, The White Stripes--from their trademark red, white and black color scheme to their instrumentation to their live-to-eight-track recording--stress simplicity.
In the age of google-track studios and digital sampling, The White Stripes--from their trademark red, white and black color scheme to their instrumentation to their live-to-eight-track recording--stress simplicity.
It’s not just a gimmick; it wouldn’t work any other way. The White Stripes build their songs by stripping away the unnecessary elements.
Jack White delivers distorted, sloppy blues chords every bit as effectively as fellow boogie-woogie-channeling Anglo-Saxons Link Wray or Keith Richards. Meanwhile, Meg White’s rudimentary drumming holds the bottom together; she never succumbs to the temptation to add a fill to a spot where a simple smack of the snare will suffice.
What pushes The White Stripes over the top is Jack White’s voice--which is just as effective when he’s whispering as when he’s howling--and the songs, which are clever, succinct and memorable.
There isn’t a single a la “Fell in Love with a Girl” here, but “Elephant” holds together as an album better than its predecessor. And that’s no small feat.