The Hotel Yorba

Now that the new Stripes’ album Icky Thump has been out for nearly a month, let’s take a look at the reviews that have accumulated via Metacritic:

THE PROS ->

musicOMH.com

It’s eccentric, it’s exhilarating, it is, in parts, absolutely insane. Yet it’s never less than absolutely compelling, which is what makes the White Stripes one of the greatest bands of modern times.

Lost At Sea

At 48 minutes, Icky Thump has enough genre-hopping, rip-roaring tunes to get even the 70s rock purist nodding his head again.

The Guardian

Icky Thump positively swarms out of the speakers.

Entertainment Weekly [22 Jun 2007, p.68]

Despite all the distortion and teeth-shivering riffs, Icky Thump rivals White Blood Cells in accessibility.

THE CONS ->

Spin [Jul 2007, p.91]

A noisy, cranky piece of work.

No Ripcord

Icky Thump is an anti-climatic, vaguely appealing record that unfortunately feels like a retreat from the ballsy piano-based pop eccentricity of Get Behind Me Satan. And that’s a shame because going back to basics — at least in this case — feels like surrender.

NOW Magazine

Most of Icky Thump’s songs sound half-assed, with keyboard parts thrown in ad hoc, but at least they had the good sense to trim the piano bar balladry.

The Village Voice

The affecting style that made them the most imaginative revivalists of their generation has been replaced by half-assed and half-hearted prog rock.

I can’t say I agree with the Cons, especially Spin’s curt response.

“Noisy?” “Cranky?”

I quite enjoy Icky Thump’s weaving in and out of genres and intensities. Sure, it returns to the power-packed, hard rock riffing of earlier albums like Elephant, but it also explores the realms of Celtic folk, Desperado-esque trumpet anthems and spoken word madness.

But, then again, you know me, Yorbites. I’m a bit…well…biased.

Keep an eye out for my personal review of Icky Thump in a few days.

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