Modern Rock Has Direction...and crowned this crap:) (Elephant - The White Stripes)

Member Name: Adammico

Product:	Elephant - The White Stripes
Date:	18/04/03 (457 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Most immediately enjoyable album that I heard in years, Solid use of spectacular influences, Great Song Sequencing

Disadvantages: Lyrics

elephant overview:

in order to respond to valid points by critics. this record is hopelessly derivative. it?s influenced are worn (and noted in the text) on their sleeves. their lyrics are not always relevant, deep or meaningful and most musically gifted band, but?

they get it! it is rock. rocks most evolutionary bands were mostly heavily influenced by others. this band is no different and dare i write the most consistently enjoyable active modern rock band that has showed shocking development and creativity (err influence hijacking) from the previous recording.


song by song review:

elephant begins with seven nation army. this tune is something that you never considered the white stripes attempting. yes, there is certainly plenty of funk/dance floor flavor to it and one would find it nearly impossible to not shake his/her arse. it is presently my favorite song and could not have started out the album better.

black math is a lo-fi rocker that has the hard-driving proto-punk sound of the early detroit garage rockers like mc5 and the stooges.

there's no home for you here is garage rock meets folk. quirkiness of the arrangement grabbed me immediately. it develops into a peak period pixies. their soft/loud dynamic is expertly performed.

i just dont know what to do with myself blends plays as a more desperate and uses hooks similar to frank black, but with a better supporting band.

meg white finally has a turn on in the cold, cold night, which sounds like a solid addition to the breeders catalogue.

i want to be the boy to warm your mother's works as a perfect extension to i just don?t know what to do with myself, but sounds even more like frank black at his present best.

you've got her in your pocket is jack whites most precious vocal performance on this album. it?s completely acoustic and quite folksy. however, the vocals are hollowed out, which promotes i
ntrigue to some that may be bored by this genre.

Ball and Biscuit is a dirty little mobile home rocker. Considering that there was a bit of a slow down for the past several songs, upon initial listening in context it musically hits as well as any song on here. However, on it?s own, the song plays like dumb rock with nonsense lyrics and is my least favorite tune on this album.

The Hardest Button to Button sounds like a Stooges song arranged by a perfectionist that was inspired by the Pixies Trompe Le Monde. It has all the pizzazz and bloody chainsaw-like guitar work of the Pixies and the Stooges, but certainly has a professional sounding production that makes works as a true extension of that sound.

Little Acorns has a stupid and overly long speaking intro, but is another proto-grunge-influenced jam. It is a mutt of influence. There are so many bits of influences from the speaking intro to the Pixies arrangement, they are not easily pinpointed, but is another great sounding song.

Hypnotize is the hybrid of the dirty Indie guitar of early Pavement and the song Rag Dolls (Aerosmith)vocal arrangement. Since I love both, this song is immediately satisfying and holds up to repeated listening.

Those in need of the early sound of the White Stripes (with obviously better quality) will enjoy The Air near My Fingers. The song is a rollicking blues rock that just blows up into Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine, which shows their work with more complex and tangible arrangements and that makes former even more enjoyable and fun/natural in the CDs sequence.

Finally, It's True That We Love One Another is an acoustic vocal threesome (with Holly Golightly) thats mostly queer and slightly amusing; it will definitely leave you with a bit of a smirk.

Summary: