Photo courtesy of Third Man Records
On Wednesday, Jack White gave listeners a taste of things to come with the release of two singles, “Connected By Love” and “Respect Commander,” which will be featured on his upcoming album, “Boarding House Reach” through Third Man Records.
The Nashville musical icon’s two songs mark a significant departure from his guitar-driven blues style, as he instead sought a more eclectic path for each.
“Connected By Love” begins with a cold, modulating synthesizer that sounds not unlike something that would be heard on an alien spaceship. The song then opens up into a slow-moving ballad with White’s voice taking the spotlight as he sings the lines, “Woman, don’t you know what I’m suffering from? / Ease my pain, make it wash on with the rain.” “Connected by Love” features a triumphant chorus, filled with organs and organic piano chords behind White and a choir of Nashville-based background singers, The McCrary Sisters. Though the majority of the song stays away from the sounds of White’s past projects, it nonetheless features a signature ripping guitar solo at its climax.
The single’s b-side, “Respect Commander,” highlights Jack White’s instrumental diversity, as it features a mix of synthetic instruments, such as drum pad and synthesizer, as well as the more organic sounds of fuzzy guitar and bass. Whereas it’s preceding single had a specific structure, “Respect Commander” plays out as a loose, classic psychedelic jam, taking a number of different shapes throughout its run-time.
In an interview with Gary Oldman for “Interview Magazine,” White described his upcoming album as “good gardening music or roofing music or, you know, back-alley stabbing music.”
With the release of these two wide-ranging singles, it seems safe to assume that “Boarding House Reach” will present listeners with an entirely new side of Jack White.
A limited 7” tri-color vinyl pressing of these two singles will be available at Third Man Records’ Nashville location on Saturday.
Watch the music video for “Connected By Love,” directed by Pasqual Gutierrez, below.
To contact Music Editor Hayden Goodridge, email lifestyles@mtsusidelines.com.
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