The White Stripes — Icky Thump

Icky Thump

Third Man/Warner

Noah Love (CHARTattack)

06/19/2007 7:59pm

The problem with attention deficit-prone visionaries is that they're always more focused on what interests them the most. I honestly don't think Jack White's heart is really in The White Stripes anymore, but his wallet certainly is. As such, Icky Thump is a complicated record. Where White's work with The Raconteurs saw him creating something new and forward-thinking, you can almost hear the hemming and hawing he put into the new Stripes disc. And yet, given that the album was pretty much rushed so that the frontman could quickly go back to writing and recording with his other band, it's amazing that Icky Thump is even remotely decent. In particular, the Corky Robbins cover, "Conquest," the White Blood Cells-sounding "Bone Broke" and Elephant-esque "I'm Slowly Turning Into You" are extremely worthy additions to the duo's catalogue. The title track is among those that benefit from heavier guitars and proggy keyboard lines, all of which distance Icky Thump from Get Behind Me Satan's bizarre electronic tendencies. But in embracing their past, they're not really offering anything new — besides the brutally irritating, bagpipe-driven "St. Andrew (This Battle Is In The Air)." If you're a huge Stripes fan, Icky Thump will serve as a worthy addition to your collection. Fans who have moved past their simple throwback garage rock, however, best keep their distance.