Issue date: 4/11/08 Section: Features

Another influence is country, which also makes sense considering White's musical fling with country music star Loretta Lynn. "Carolina Drama" definitely shows its roots in country music, though don't mistake it for such. There is a mildly overdriven guitar that lays a riff occasionally throughout, and a tight finger-plucked acoustic that lays a rhythm. The country sound comes in that the song is very much a story. There is cheating, murder, drinking and mention of a pickup truck - everything but a dog.

"Take This Blanket Off" has a bit more of the twangy guitar commonly associated with modern country music, but it is really much more a Southern-rock ballad. The guitar and the piano work with one another, which is very common in music by Lynard Skynard, for example.

Another example of White's storytelling prowess is in "The Switch and the Spur," a modern Western told in form of a Spanish-influenced ballad. Mariachi trumpets play through bridges, and the bass lays a solid line for a story to be told with the lyrics. White's telling even involves a bit of direct quotation, accompanied by backup vocals, stating the words of the outlaws escaped from jail.

While the Raconteurs clearly spent more time on this album than the last, this album seems much less fun than "Broken Boy Soldiers." Instead of a number of guys coming up with fun music while sitting around, this album sounds like work. Don't get me wrong, this album is packed with good music, but it feels much more like the band is trying to gain staying power with more options for singles. Whatever the case, they've gained it.

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