Jack White | Boarding House Reach | Album Review

Record Label: Third Man Records
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Jack White released his third solo album, Boarding House Reach, on March 23. This album is by far one of the strangest albums from White during his solo career, and he takes the listener far out of their comfort zone. This album is far from perfect: it does have a playfulness to it, but it sometimes falls flat.

The 44-minute album plays around with instrumentals and spoken word. White also experiments with funk-driven rhythms, piano ballads, and varying guitar riffs within each song. The composition of the instrumentals and the backing vocals of Ann and Regina McCary come together to create an album that seemingly takes the listener into different dimensions.

“Connected By Love” opens up the album. During the first few seconds, the track starts with a distorted synth bass. The raw emotion that is given in White’s vocals coupled with the instrumentals offers an interesting take on a classic love song. “Why Walk A Dog?” starts off with a slow drum sequence and lyrics that are a more thought-provoking audio experience for listeners by using the song’s lyrics to speak on how animals are treated and what their worth is in this world.

The album in a nutshell might seem like Queen, The Beastie Boys, and Frank Zappa combined their music together to create an album that infuses a little bit of rock, funk, and hip hop—leaving listeners intrigued. This album takes on and experiments with new ways to create a message or interpret new styles.