Raconteur's new Album - Consolers of the Lonely (2008)

ShoulderChip

I have just started listening to the first song now, have ye listened to it yet?
any opinions?
I liked a few tracks in the first album but was ultimately dissapointed especially when I saw them live, so maybe they are not my thing, but will give this a chance at least.

I can not find any previews on web,
will post details of reviews when they come...

€13.99 at Play.com

Raconteurs on Last.fm


FROM WIKI
Consolers of the Lonely is the second album of The Raconteurs. It will be released on March 25, 2008 on Warner Bros. Records/XL Recordings. It will be available on all formats including CD, vinyl, and MP3. A video for the first single from the album, "Salute Your Solution" will likely be released on the same day. It is unique in that the band has done no promotion previous to the album's release, and its existence was only confirmed a week before its release.

On March 22nd, "Consolers of the Lonely" was "accidentally" leaked by iTunes for a short period of time. Some fans managed to purchase the album early, making it available on multiple media downloading programs (such as "Limewire") as of March 22.

The sound of Howlin' Pelle Almqvist of The Hives walking into a room will be featured on one of the songs on the album.

The band premiered "Five on the Five" during their last tour.




The Raconteurs released the tracklist on March 19, 2008.

1. "Consoler of the Lonely" - 3:25
2. "Salute Your Solution" - 3:00
3. "You Don't Understand Me" - 4:53
4. "Old Enough" - 3:57
5. "The Switch and the Spur" - 4:25
6. "Hold Up" - 3:26
7. "Top Yourself" - 4:25
8. "Many Shades of Black" - 4:24
9. "Five on the Five" - 3:33
10. "Attention" - 3:40
11. "Pull This Blanket Off" - 1:59
12. "Rich Kid Blues" - 4:34
13. "These Stones Will Shout" - 3:54
14. "Carolina Drama" - 5:55


From Post office building inscription in Washington DC
"Messenger of sympathy and love, servant of parted friends, consoler of the lonely, bond of the scattered family, enlarge of the common life".

chris d

I'll be interested in this. Thought the first album came out a little flat, <snip>

Bubs101

Aside from the first two tracks the only ones that jumped out were top yourself and the Carolina one at the end

ShoulderChip

From Guardian

1. Consoler of the Lonely

The growling, low slung blues that ushers in the Racs' second set plonks up right into Ball and Biscuit country, as an echoey Jack White ploughs into a distracted opener that, for all its playfulness, sets an ominous lyrical tone. "My interest is starting to wane / I'm told it's everything a man could want ... / And I shouldn't complain." This couldn't be the "fame sucks" album... Could it?

2. Salute Your Solution

Echoes of The Hardest Button to Button as the pace becomes frantic. As the vocals speed up to a chant and the guitars screech more wildly, it looks like we won't be in for too many pop thrills. Lyrically too, things are bitter: "I got what I got all to spite you / And I'll get what I get just to spite you."

3. You Don't Understand Me

Jack and Brendan channel Elton John on this piano-driven cousin of Hands from Broken Boy Soldiers, the first monent of true prettiness. Excitingly, the wisdom of Obi Wan Kenobi proves crucial: "Who is the fool? The fool or the fool that you are fooling?"

4. Old Enough

Violins conjure up a country jig, while stabs of Mellotron lead you down all kinds of melodic twists and turns. Lyrically we're in the same ballpark as the Stripes tune You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You're Told). Having a go at somebody for their inexperience, which hardly seems fair. But still, more variety than last time after just four songs.

5. The Switch and the Spur

Horns! Cowboy imagery! Storytelling! This is much more like it, a Mariachi stomp through a fable of a broken boy, er, cowboy, told in multiple movements. Dips in the middle, but by the end its a rootin', tootin' hoot. Like Panic at the Disco this is both pretty and odd.

6. Hold Up

Both woozily psychedelic and a bit like the Clash, this can't make its mind up what it wants to be. Taking in both chanting to bluesy punk, it has a super-simple chorus to cut through any fretwankery. Of which there is a fair amount, to be honest.

7. Top Yourself

A self-help song about suicide, which pretty much encapsulates the spirit of this strange, strange record. Jack won't be there to assist, apparently. Things get more spooky when you realise that it's basically a nursery rhyme cradled in slide guitar.

8. Many Shades of Black

The parping horns return for this Queen-channelling showtune that allows some nice respite from the pub blues, which by now has become the dominant theme. Instead, Jack hovers between a howl and a croon on what is easily the most fun track so far. The more you lick it, the more you like it.

9. Five on the Five

We really are into the fun strait now, as things pick up speed again for this T Rex-ish stomper. Sure, it might just be the Raconteurs appropriating different parts of their record collections, but on moments like this they do that exceptionally well. Also, the moaning has subsided.

10. Attention

Return to the swamp! Some nice experimental multitracked vocals toward the end of this stodgy racket don't do much to shake the feeling that this song wouldn't be missed if it wasn't here.

10. Pull This Blanket Off

The balladeering spirit of Elton returns and haunts this two-minute interlude, fat with earnest pronouncements such as "It's hard to stick to your guns when everyone is having fun."

11. Rich Kid Blues

More minor key fumbling as Mr White takes a satirical swipe at his curmedgeonly self from earlier on. The song sounds like it's going to trundle, but eventually it darts off into some delightfully bonkers prog rock guitar. Which is a relief

12. These Stones Will Shout

Like some kind of country rock Black Sabbath, this mixes occult swagger with the kind of beautifully simple songwriting that Jack seduced us with in the first place.

13. Carolina Drama

The big finale takes the form of a slow-burning murder ballad soaked in gin, intrigue and a mysterious postman. By turns gritty and whimsical, it's a nicely surreal end to an album that's as confusing as it is compelling. A bit of choice pruning and Consolers of the Lonely could've been a classic.

ZappaFrank

On first listen it's one of the best albums i've heard this year. Actually can't wait to listen to The Switch and the Spur again.

Dennis the Stone

Rich Kid Blues is Great

chris d

still haven't given it a proper listen, but it's a general thumbs up.
why are they playing some manky festival instead of somewhere like fibbers though?

SELL OUTS!!!

Festivals are annoying.

Anyone at the brendan benson gig in O'Donohues a few years back? That was cool.

stressed out

I am listening to this album so much lately. Anyone think it's a cracker?
One of the best of 2008