White Stripes

This album shows how this band with humble Detroit begginings started off, with their twelve chord blues in one pocket, and a rock plectum in the other. This album differs from all other albums, its nearest cousin perhaps being the new Icky Thump, if only for songs like Bone Broke appearing on it.

This is raw garage rock, and infused with Jack White's already flowering ability to write harmonius songs, this really is an album that cannot be missed be any White Stripes fan. This justifies all other albums, showing you where they started from, what they were trying to achieve. Although mainstream success would come in the forms of the more MTV friendly White Blood Cells, and Elephant, songs that formed those albums would never have been thought through if not for this album.

Highlights have to be Astro, Sugar Never Tasted So Good (the song Jack White heard his Raconteur bandmate Brendon Benson cover at their first meeting), Jimmy the Exploder, The Big Three Killed My Baby, Cannon, When I Hear My Name, and, my personal favourite, Screwdriver.

To compare it to other bands is difficult, Jack White basing most of this music on unfindable Blues artists from his home area, but this is a hugely accessible album, and well worth sampling if you like The White Strips.

This album, the first from the band, is often overlooked due to the fact they only really became successful with their second effort, 'De Stijl'. That is a criminal shame, as I think this album is the best they've recorded so far.

Perhaps the aspect of this album I enjoy the most is how raw it sounds. There is no over-production going on here as on some of the bands later albums, just pure, passionate rock music. Everything seems louder and more exciting. Meg's drums are much faster and more intricate, and Jack literally just shouts a lot of the lyrics.

There are a couple of more mellow songs, such as the beautiful 'Do', but the majority are heavier and faster than the bands more recent recordings. The influences of blues music is also more evident on this album, on songs like 'When I Hear My Name' and 'Suzy Lee' in particular.

Heavier, more passionate and more exciting - this remains the high point of the White Strips career in my eyes (and ears).