Album Review: The White Stripes-Under Great White Northern Lights

Posted On: March 30, 2010
Posted By: odeisel
Comments: 1

By Odeisel

Under Great White Northern Lights is the first live concert album from ex spouse duo, the White Stripes. The album is based on a film that documents their 2007 Canadian summer tour and is a collection of performances done throughout the tour. Concert albums can be tricky as many performers are not as protected on stage as they are in the recording booth and the presence of a crowd that you have to pander to can wreak havoc on a group’s rhythm if they aren’t ready to rock. The White Stripes, however, don’t have that problem. The album plays a bit long, but the music is a testament to the group’s range, versatility, and ability as stage performers.

“Let’s Shake Hands,” the frenetic intro to the album finds lead vocalist Jack White exploding over rangy electric guitar riffs. “Black Math” continues the guitar driven them with decidedly less words. White has a staggered speedy as the song switches speeds throughout.

“Little Ghosts” changes the energy entirely with a feel that sounds like speed folk. What sounds like a speed banjo provides a spare sonic track for Jack and ex wife Meg to duet back and forth. Gone is the aggressive delivery of the opening two tracks, and the heavy guitars. The duo does most of the work on this one.

“Blue Orchid” offers a return to that guitar driven sound, but Jack adopts a brazen falsetto; a huge departure that further illustrates his range as a vocalist. Where the guitars did the heavy lifting on earlier songs, Jack muscles this track to the finish line, pulling the riff close and manhandling it only to back off and let it rip for the closing guitar solo.

“Union Forever” is a bit morose and brings the pace of the album to a crawl, but allows for an emotional pressure release. Mr. White lyrically chastises:

Sorry but I’m not interested in gold mines, oil wells, shipping, real estate/

I like to have been everything you hate/

But it’s no trick to make a lot of money

If you want to make a lot of money, but you gotta love me

The plodding guitars and the organs that close the song provide brilliant theatre. “Ball and Biscuit” keeps that keyboard driven theme going while providing White more occasion to flash his distinctive vocals.

The aptly –named “Icky Thump” features an extremely long solo, supported by a constant, bottom-heavy thump. His delivery is almost Hip-Hop in the body of the track between guitar riffs. The placement of “Icky Thump” has it slowly building emotion to a crescendo, gathering speed for a big release which explodes right into the digital cyber intro of “Slowly Turning Into You” which features perhaps Jack’s most conventional style on the album. The drum and guitar are half a beat off from being in phase and synch as the guitar goes lower, then grinds to a murmuring whisper before ceding room to Jack Whites vocals once more.

“Jolene” provides another emotional outlet for the wailing White’s falsetto. Meg happens to get extremely busy on the drums. “300 MPH Torrential Outpour Blues” besides the greatest song title ever is about the closest Jack will ever get to being an MC but I have to say the flow sounds good on him.

The Stripes continue with the light “We Are Going to Be Friends” a rendition of Burt Bacharat’s “I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself.” From there, the speed folk returns with “Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn.” The slow sizzle of “Fell In Love With A Girl” ramps up the sex appeal and serves as a bridge to “When I Hear My Name” which finds Jack White back among the hard guitars, singing at the top of his lungs. “Seven Nation Army,” with its electric guitar-distorted intro and crowd-enticing bump, bring the album to a close.

At 17 tracks (there is a track called The End that’s not a real song) the album is a bit long but it showcases the dynamic and agile range of Jack White as a vocalist and the ability of the band to go back and forth between many styles of music seamlessly. It also bears witness to their skill at crowd control, measuring pace and speed and keeping them involved. If you are unfamiliar with the White Stripes, this album is perhaps your best jumping on point.

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