Jack White rarely likes to settle down for too long. Only 9 months after the release of his last solo record Boarding House Reach, Jack reawakened his decade-old side project and supergroup The Raconteurs. The band, which includes solo artist Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence of the Dead Weather, and Patrick Keeler of the Greenhornes, first appeared on the scene with their acclaimed 2006 release Broken Boy Soldiers. Not long after, Consolers of the Lonely arrived in 2008 before the group disbanded and White took on other projects.
Now, just as 2018 is coming to a close, the Raconteurs have gifted us a rare double-release of two gritty and bluesy tracks each with an accompanying video, “Sunday Driver” and “Now That You’re Gone.” While each song clearly has the connective thread that is Jack White and Raconteurs sounds, they offer a diverse enough taste of what we might expect on their unnamed but imminent new record in 2019.
“Sunday Driver,” which features White on vocals, sounds like a classic Jack White tune with a bit more of a traditional verse and chorus structure that he recently abandoned on Boarding House Reach. Despite the structure, there’s still that gritty guitar and heavy enough whammy pedal to add deep soul. Benson and Lawrence offer up some Beatles-esque harmonizing and back-up vocals as Keeler pummels through a distinctly memorable drum beat.
The music video, directed by Steven Sebring, features the band in a small, circular room, and jamming as one entity and having a blast. Ultimately, “Sunday Driver” is a sexy singalong that could fit alongside modern rock radio hits and in the depths of dirty rock clubs. It’s a more revved up “Steady As She Goes” with much sharper teeth. And after a decade of no new music from this quarter altogether, I think Raconteurs fans are ready for some bite.
The second track, “Now That You’re Gone” is much more bluesy and sultry, and features Brendan Benson on vocals. With a wailing guitar and moody bass, it sounds like a deep cut from Broken Boy Soldiers – and that’s definitely a compliment.
The black and white music video, directed by Dikayl Rimmasch, presents Benson at the center, surrounded by abstracted mirrors reflecting each band member as they play. Elsewhere, a tear-streaked blonde dressed in vintage attire is on the run from a broken heart. Her own sadness leads her to a brothel before both her story and the song itself take a turn.
The chords and verses become more deconstructed as White’s guitar begins to sound more dirty and less like a traditional blues solo. As the song grows darker, the blonde in the video transforms into a brunette who’s taken to streetwalking. Her story no longer exudes sadness but one of defiance; she gets behind the wheel of a car and attempts to run down the Raconteurs. Benson croons, “Now that you’re gone / now that you’re gone / now that you’re gone” and I couldn’t be happier that the Raconteurs have officially returned. Welcome back, boys.
“Sunday Driver” – 9.5
“Now That You’re Gone” – 9
