Help Us Stranger

Rolling Stone - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[The band] bust into their first studio album in eleven years like a street gang itching for battle, rapidly building to the power-chord fanfare and shiny vocal chrome in 'Bored and Razed.'" Spin - "HELP US, STRANGER is a preservationist work, attempting to do what record labels seemingly cannot: contextualize an erstwhile apex genre." Clash - "Its gloriously unkempt charm seems to sum up the album as a whole -- purely and simply the sound of a group of musicians having the absolute time of their lives." Pitchfork - "The Raconteurs make the strongest case for themselves through competent, workmanlike song construction. They've built a rock record that is sequenced perfectly; sturdy, but never staid." Paste - "Gone are those unnecessary fiddle, organ and bongo solos, HELP US STRANGER sees White and his bandmates return to straightforward rock, complete with killer guitar riffs and catchy, singalong choruses." Uncut - "There's no shortage of invention and genre mashes to prick up the ears here."

American alt-rock supergroup the Raconteurs present their third studio album, Help Us Stranger, their first album in over a decade since 2008's Consolers of the Lonely. This album was recorded at Jack White's Third Man studios in Tennessee, alongside engineer Joshua V. Smith. Help Us Stranger features the single "Sunday Driver." ~ Liam Martin|

ジャック・ホワイト自身のレーベルからリリースされた11年ぶりとなる待望の新作。ドノヴァンのカヴァー"Hey Gyp(Dig The Slowness)"も含むセルフ・プロデュース作で、ギター・リフが唸るブルージーなロックを中心に、生ギター、ピアノ、キーボードを織り交ぜた彼ららしい多彩な曲が並びつつ、過去2作にはなかった良い意味で枯れたヴェテラン力が光る。もちろんアナログ感溢れるヴィンテージ・サウンドは健在だ。
bounce (C)赤瀧洋二