The White Stripes — Get Behind Me Satan

It was only four years ago that The White Stripes rescued us from boy band purgatory, using intense riffs and pounding drums to bring rock 'n' roll back to radio. Now, on the band's fifth disc, the Stripes opt for marimba over distorted mess.

From disc opener and single "Blue Orchid" — a powerful rocker showcasing Jack White's familiar upper register — it's hard to tell that White prefers the acoustic to the electric, but just wait until track two, "The Nurse," where the marimba comes out in full force. From there, Get Behind Me Satan descends into the mediocre — but avoids reaching the terrible. "My Doorbell" is a questionable ditty that would fit better in Ben Harper or Maroon 5's oeuvre, but "Little Ghost" is a rollicking bluegrass-infused number. And the conflicts don't end there.

Unfortunately, nothing here, not even "Blue Orchid," will get people excited — it sounds more like a bunch of b-sides than a record from one of rock 'n' roll's most interesting bands. 

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