BOARDiNG hOUSE REACh JACK WHITE

IT is a strange experience listening to this album for the very first time. As a long time fan of both Jack White and the White Stripes, there is an instant reaction along the lines of “Is this really Jack?” No doubt the lead single and first track of the album, in the title itself misleads the listener. Connected By Love is not a phrase that is typical of White, let alone an emotion commonly drawn upon when thinking of his music. Then you’d expect it to be some sort of a sarcastic take on the phrase lyrically which also doesn’t show up, and you’re left wondering what the rest of the album would sound like.

Track 2 then sees White pull out his guitar and do what he does best, perform with what seems to be a creative process of a man from space. On Why Walk A Dog?, he somehow takes funk back into considera-

tion in modern music, the guitar solo alone is enough to get the harshest music critic nodding in approval.

The rest of the album is littered with guitar solos just as fierce and impressive, which does indicate that the songwriting process in this album started with the guitar. And yet, tracks like Abulia And Akrasia shows his proficiency in crafting not just a song, but also an intermission to tell a story. Almost the entire album makes you question the (in)sanity that White experienced when he (reportedly) conceptualised and wrote the album in complete isolation.

Boarding House Reach is an album that blends music from both the past and present into one maelstrom of insanity that will admittedly leave some listeners confused, but if you look deep enough you will see that there is nobody else in the world like White.