The White Stripes
Get Behind Me Satan
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Throughout my twenty-seven years of being on this planet, twenty of them as a die-hard music devotee, I don’t think that any other record was as sorely overrated as Elephant, the last White Stripes offering. Coming from a fan of the White Stripes that statement is not unlike declaring Revolver as the most overrated Beatles record (which of course is not true). It’s also the only record I’ve gone back and listened to countless times in hopes that I would find some redeeming quality or grasp exactly why peers and critics cited it as one of the best albums of the past ten years. Sure it showcases some interesting blues guitar, but Jack’s screeching howl never reached the intensity it did on previous efforts. And it seemed that Jack could only write in the key of A major, regurgitating the same structures as he did on White Blood Cells, still their best record in my opinion. I literally only like one song off that record, “Girl You Have No Faith In Medicine,” which in of itself ripped off the opening riff from Urge Overkill’s “Positive Bleeding.”

Suffice to say, everyone disagrees with me and even though I could go song by song why that record doesn’t hold up, I’m ready to move on now. I’ve gone through the much-needed therapy after being diagnosed with post-traumatic disappointment syndrome and I wanted to listen and Get Behind Me Satan, their latest record, with an objective viewpoint in tact. I would like to remain a fan and luckily they haven’t let me down twice. Get Behind Me Satan is thankfully, anything but a customary White Stripes record. It is more like a bridging transition from the sessions he did with Loretta Lynn (in addition to his Cold Mountain contributions) along with the piano-driven blues from earlier efforts. It’s less of a rock-out effort which may be off-putting for some, for others a welcome surprise. First single “Blue Orchid” would convince you otherwise, and despite it not sonically sounding anything like they’ve done before, it’s almost a calculating choice to put out as the lead for radio play. If fans are expecting each song to be as prominent and visceral as “Orchid,” they’ll be immensely disappointed because from the second song onward, it’s a whole different animal. It’s all over the map which for the Stripes is not a detriment but a blessing. They’ve branched out beyond their limited instrumentation and opted to be weirder and more soulful as a result. “The Nurse” has volcanic ear-shattering crashing chords underscored by twinkles of Spanish-flavored marimba. The mandolin-laced yee-hah Americana romp of “Little Ghost” precedes the walking-talking blues and Motown texture of “The Denial Twist.” The wraithlike piano and calming cymbals of “White Moon” is squeezed in next to the undersexed electric blues scream of “Instinct Blues.”

One of the standouts is a riff on celebrity-party encounters; a singalong that kicks in with fluctuating time signatures “Take Take Take.” From that point, you’ve realized that White has progressed towards more deeply melodic songwriting instead of just wailing on his red-apple guitar. “My Doorbell” could contain their catchiest recital of a song title to date. By expanding his horizons, Jack and Meg have somehow managed to be more resigned and downhearted than his previous albums, but this is a good thing even if the lyrical content still preys on incest. Get Behind Me Satan is a whirlwind of music appreciation from all sides of the fence. Imprinted with an extensive cornucopia of old-school Americana the latest and 2nd best offering from the Stripes is not unlike a random playlist from the O, Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack. If critics put this on their top ten lists this year, then I will have no quibble even if at times Jack’s still using those same damn chords. I guess if The Ramones could get away with it I can be forgiving this time.

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