CD of The Week

Jack White - No Name (Third Man)

In addition to being one of the most iconic contemporary rock stars, Jack White is also one of the true eccentrics in indie rock. When culture zigs one way (bands using cell phone footage to promote their live shows on Instagram), White gleefully zags in the other direction (banning cell phone use completely at his shows). The same is true with album rollouts, which have become re-standardized in the streaming service era. In 2022, White released two albums (one rock, one folk) just three months apart and issued advance singles from both simultaneously. White has topped himself in novelty with No Name, which was surprise-released via a vinyl album being randomly inserted into sales bags at Third Man Records store locations earlier this month. Over the weekend, White played a concert in Nashville where fans could acquire an updated vinyl copy of the record with an actual tracklist and credits. Additionally, the album has yet to be released on Spotify, Apple Music, or any other streaming platform.

It is easy to turn your nose up at the somewhat gimmicky nature of its release, but making a snap judgment about No Name would be foolish. The album is a real return to form, as White focuses in on his strengths. Menacing, swaggering riffs, sneering vocals, and raw production/arrangements form the core of the 13-track album. Most of the songs are no-frills, straight-ahead rock and while little matches the power of the best White Stripes material, the tunes are all earworms that will instill involuntary head bangs and foot stomps. The sequencing is also solid with every other track or so providing a bit of a departure from the album’s primary timbre.

Highlights include “What’s the Rumpus?”, which features the catchiest chorus on the album and endearingly absurd lyrics such as “What’s the rumpus / will the label dump us / they tried to stump us / now we’re chum, will they lump us?.” Meanwhile, the guitar work on “Tonight (Was a Long Time Ago)” and “Underground” are virtuosic as the former features one of the most powerful solos of White’s career, while the latter has a slide-based twang that both pays homage to and expands on the legacy of delta blues legends such as Robert Johnson and Son House. Finally, “Bombing Out” and “Missionary” bring the punk back to White’s sound, with both songs returning to the abrasive tension that characterized parts of De Stijl and White Blood Cells.

No Name’s unusual release may have resulted in some extra press this week, but hopefully the attention persists for what might be White’s best solo album. Ditching the psychedelic bloat and Q-Tip features that have been awkward fits for White on recent efforts, pure, energetic rock has returned in a welcome way. The album is easy to appreciate and very accessible even if its introduction to listeners has been quite strange.
Review by Sol