The hardest thing about addressing the Raconteurs' Broken Boy Soldiers is distancing the band from its parts. There is, of course, Little Jack Lawrence on bass. Little Jack is from both the Greenhornes and Blanche. He's a good bassist, and he also looks a lot like he could be Jack White's shy little brother who would never hit anyone. Then there's Patrick Keeler, who's also a member of the Greenhornes. And I'm just going to admit it right now, I love the Greenhornes. I think their East Grand Blues EP is fantastic. Next, there's Brendan Benson. Everyone who's read the Modern Pea Pod knows how much I love Brendan Benson. Alternative to Love was seriously one of the best albums released last year that no one ever listened to.
My best friend and I spend a lot of time making Brendan sandwiches and worrying about his weight. (And P.S. Brendan, not that you're even reading, but if you somehow do stumble across this, I think you're adorable. But, really, you are too thin. Call me, and I will make you sandwiches.) Finally, we come to Jack White. Even if you don't know who the other guys are, you most likely know who Jack White is. He's one of the few young musicians who can actually be counted as a rock star in the traditional sense. Even my parents know who he is. He does crazy things, he looks crazy, but you turn on a White Stripes album, and goddammit, it's a party.
So with all of these artists combined, any fan might be led to believe that Broken Boy Soldiers would be a contender for best record of the year... yet, unfortunately, they would most likely be wrong. It's because, if they're like me, they're imagining a White Stripes with a fantastic drummer, a fuller sound, and more intricate lyrics. But this vision is not The Raconteurs. They're an extremely good modern power pop band, but no matter what, no parts of the album quite reach the fantastic highs which all of the band's members have reached separately.
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