Jack White's new album Frozen Charlotte is a brutal, squalid blues-rock record that just about sells its own ridiculousness, according to a review by Shaad D'Souza in The Guardian. The album, released on Third Man Records, follows White's 2024 album No Name, which was praised for its lean, raw songs and marked a career renaissance for the 51-year-old musician.
A Return to Raw Blues-Rock
After establishing himself with the White Stripes in the early 2000s, White's influence grew through side projects like the Raconteurs and Dead Weather, as well as his solo work and vinyl revival efforts. However, by the mid-2010s, his celebrity began to overshadow his music. Frozen Charlotte sees White embracing the more brutal side of 70s blues rock, with opener 'GOD and the Broken Ribs' featuring a bolshie retelling of Genesis over a muscular blues chug and histrionic guitar solos.
The album's 40-odd minutes are loud and ostentatious, with heavy delay effects on tracks like 'Raising the Grain' creating a destabilised atmosphere. 'You'll Never Fix Me' is a garage barnstormer with nasty, anarchic riffs that convey rebellion.
Fan Service in No-Frills Mode
As on No Name, White's fury and meanness sell lines like 'click clack, back track, tick tock, smack talk.' This fan service is preferable to overblown solo records like 2022's Fear of the Dawn. However, Frozen Charlotte lacks stylistic variance, and by the time of 'She's in a Frenzy,' the album feels samey. The standout track is 'Neighbors Blues,' a bonkers potboiler that creates tension through simmering aggression, unlike other songs that play their hands early.
A Renaissance with Limits
White's stripped-down renaissance is evident, but the album might have benefited from an even more back-to-basics approach. Despite its fun moments, Frozen Charlotte can be a lot, and the lack of dynamics neuters White's great sense of dynamics. The review concludes that while the album is part of White's fan service, it could have been helped by more variety.
