Jack White – Boarding House Reach

A creative statement from one of the few remaining mavericks in music...

Few artists in our current generation hold the mystique and intrigue of Detroit native Jack White. The multi-instrumentalist, singer and producer has managed to carve out a unique position in the current musical landscape through cross-genre collaborations and a constant willingness to push his own boundaries.

On his third solo album, ‘Boarding House Beach’, White continues his foray into musical experimentation, incorporating just about every influence imaginable into a concise, 13-track album. The record opens with ‘Connected By Love’, which juxtaposes electric distortion and gospel, all while White channels his inner Freddie Mercury with a powerhouse vocal performance.

The eclecticism of the opener is the standard for the rest of ‘Boarding House Reach’, as White pulls from every avenue of his previous work to create a truly unique body of work. The musical diversity peaks on ‘Ice Station Zebra’, with the beat changing numerous times (we counted seven) within the first 45 seconds, before White proceeds to rap, sing, chant, talk and whatever else through the rest of the track. Such is the sonic diversity on this album, a more ‘traditional’ Jack White track like ‘Over And Over And Over’ seems mundane in comparison.

‘Boarding House Reach’ is easily one of the most layered and compelling releases of 2018, which furthers White’s legacy as one of the few remaining mavericks in music.

9/10

Words: Will Rosebury

Dig it? Dig deeper: Damon Albarn, Beck, Led Zeppelin

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