Day 0949 - Elephant

I was saying earlier that I didn't know how this decade of the book would play out and how they'd choose entries without the proof of longevity or influence on other artists to recommend them.   Well I've noticed they do seem to be working through the years quicker, with maybe less than 10 entries for some years whereas the 60s-90s' years tended to have a lot more albums represented. 

0949

The White Stripes “Elephant” (2003)

Another reasonably tight, concise bit of rock from the White Stripes.

Following on from the mainstream success of “White Blood Cells” (see day 929) the Stripes buckled down to work on their fourth album.   They used only old analogue recording equipment because that was Jack White’s whole anti-technology obsession at the time.

The album starts off strong with the big single “Seven Nation Army” which has an economical but effective arrangement, paring a memorable octaved-down single-string guitar line with a thumping tom drum, breaking out into trebly distorted guitar with splashy cymbals for the vocal-less chorus.   The second track “Black Math” almost has a bit of a punky bent to it (as does later track “Girl you Have no Faith in Medicine”).  

While the other songs are good, I do feel like the album/band start to lose their punch.  The third track “There’s no Home for You Here” sounds like a re-tread of “Dead Leaves on the Dirty Ground” from the previous album, but with the raucous choruses replaced with vocal harmonies.  I also notice that a lot of the songs seem to start in a similar key or even with a same chord leading me to think that White’s voice, though distinctive and strong may not have the broadest range.

As I say though, still a strong album.  Some other highlights include “In the Cold Cold Night” which is a nice bluesy ballad with Meg on vocals; “I want to be the boy to warm your mother’s heart” which is a piano-based track with a country-sounding lead break; and the other big single from the album “Hardest Button to Button”.