06.
The Raconteurs
Consolers Of The Lonely

I liked their debut without ever really loving it. Certainly, I never expected an album this good from them. Without doubt, I prefer this to any White Stripes album. There’s musical genius at work here, unhinged and dangerous. It’s all a bit chaotic, and I get the feeling that this may be their first and last great record – I’m not sure they like each other at all anymore. That odd underlying tension gives this record real life, though. Like the White Stripes, this album draws on the 60s, and yet makes it all sound so very now. ‘Many Shades Of Black’ is, for me, the standout track. A massively uplifting chorus neatly juxtaposed to the depressing lyrics. Perfect simple songwriting. The other one that I always turn that iPod dial to is ‘Salute Your Solution’: a grinding powerchord fest, with a wicked bassline and a guitar effect on the solo that sounds like a hammond organ. Awesome. Their performance at Bonnaroo remains my musical highlight of the entire year. That’s simply as good as live music gets.