The Raconteurs: Consolers Of The Lonely

Since their seemingly

out-of-nowhere 2006 debut, The Raconteurs have been a little confounding. A

supergroup featuring just one superstar—its players are Jack White,

singer-songwriter Brendan Benson, and the rhythm section of Cincinnati's The

Greenhornes—it at first seemed like it was largely an outlet for White.

As half of The White Stripes, he had to work within fairly strict,

self-determined limitations while dealing with the pressures of popularity and

critical acclaim. With his partners in The Raconteurs, he could stretch out and

write any kind of song he liked—or sit back and kick in support when

other members took the lead.

Thing is, The Raconteurs'

songs aren't that

different from The White Stripes'. Take the Benson-led "The Switch And The

Spur." Sure, the voice is different, but as soon as White's unmistakable guitar

kicks in, it's back to familiar turf. Little here pushes beyond the boundaries

of the Stripes' avant-garage sound.

Fortunately, that's a rich

sound, and the band's second album, Consolers Of The Lonely, never seems less than new.

The Raconteurs seemed comfortable with each other on their debut, Broken Boy

Soldiers,

and here, the chemistry has gotten even stronger. Tracks like "Salute Your

Solution" and "Top Yourself" demand attention with guitar hooks and keep it

with tight playing. It's a side project that has more intensity and commitment

than most proper bands.

But sometimes The

Raconteurs' competence and professionalism get in the way of their fieriness,

particularly in moments that sound like a White Stripes album given a coat of

'70s AOR polish. The disc closes with a song of gothic violence called

"Carolina Drama" that, with descriptive details like "the white milk dripped

down with the blood," would probably sound devastating without the spooky

chorus and all the layered instrumental flourishes. Could it be that the

group's most famous member, despite repeatedly proving the value of addition by

subtraction, has started to follow a fussier muse