THE RACONTEURS

CONSOLERS OF THE LONELY

In the current phony, auto-tuned sea of garbage that some refer to as popular music, listeners looking for a good rock record almost need to retain the services of private investigators to aid them in their search. I was considering putting these guys on the case.



If you're concerned about this sorry state of affairs, look no further than "Consolers of the Lonely". Last year's follow up to "Broken Boy Soldiers" saw The Raconteurs turning the brilliant trick of topping that album.

Brendan Benson and Jack White pool their talents in what sounds like an extremely democratic songwriting collective. Reaffirming the power of a good band working toward putting only their best efforts into the finished product, this is nothing short of superb.

Flying the flag for the glory days when bands still made excellent full length discs, the musicians do anything but phone it in. Real electricity flows freely through every track and the two lead voices provide variety in each selection. I realize that the music business is not going to retreat from aggressive marketing, but in this instance the group neatly sidestepped hype and won the prize in the "surprise release" sweepstakes.



Super solid live, great in the studio.



Breathing new life into epic narrative pieces , "Carolina Drama" is a the perfect example of a band living up to its name.



One of the finest releases of 2008. Proof positive that the rock revolution will not be silenced by corporate bullshit and elevator music for the lobotomized. Can't wait for the next one.