Fuck me, Led Zeppelin have really delivered on this their long awaited follow up to  'In Through..... No wait scrub that. Robert Plant has really delivered on his long awaited follow up to 'Strange Sensa..... Oh Jesus who am I trying to kid with all these sneaky side references, this is indeed the debut solo album from ex-White Stripes mainman Jack White, and boy does it punch a late 60's early 70's sized hole in your speaker system.

I've never actually been a fan of The White Stripes; in fact I'd go so far as to say I think they are one of the most overrated bands of the last decade.  However in saying that I do quite like both The Dead Weather and The Raconteurs, the latter's appeal I'd always attributed more to Brendan Benson's input. But I have to admit I may have been wrong about Jack White all along as 'Blunderbuss' is full of spiritually enriching music that takes you from the transcendental highs of its opener 'Missing Pieces' through to the hypnotically gentle 'On and On and On' without once sounding contrived or formulaic. 

There is of course the undeniable influence of Plant, Page and co to overcome, but tracks like 'Hip (Eponymous) Poor Boy' and 'Love Interruption' retain enough of White's own identity to not have you simply pointing at your stereo systems screaming "rip off!!!"  In fact when played next to say Rival Sons' 'Pressure & Time', 'Blunderbuss' actually makes for a near perfect listening counterpoint, especially on tracks like 'I'm Shakin' and the colossal riff-fest that is 'Sixteen Saltines'.  Actually any promoters reading this - book that tour now, it would be the "must see" gig of the year without question.

It may have taken me a fair few plays to get my head totally around the 13 songs contained within this album, but it's been well worth the journey. I just need to do the same now with the two brand new albums from the Manson's, as I'm really struggling to find anything as vaguely interesting in either of their albums when compared to this epic assault on the senses.  'Blunderbuss' has been a really pleasant surprise for me and I'm more than happy to admit it...

http://jackwhiteiii.com/

To pick up your copy of 'Blunderbuss' - CLICK HERE