The White Stripes
Elephant

THE REVIEW

Enemies of stereo equalization?! Diligent savers of instrumentation?! No! Simply creative geniuses at the service of strange, simple yet complete music. This is, in a nutshell, the essence of The White Stripes, and of Elephant, the latest work by the black and white duo—an album full of songs worthy of the top spots on European charts, with the single “Seven Nation Army” as the crowning jewel, although it doesn't just stop there within a CD that offers many genuinely valid tracks.

The group's composition is as simple as it is quirky and ingenious: a guitarist/singer and a drummer who is also a singer. This, contrary to what one might think, does not impoverish the sound of this group at all (and in this sense, some adjustments have been made to make the sound as full as possible, like the use of special effects for the guitar) even though, objectively, the absence of a bass at some points, especially in certain songs like "I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself," is noticeable. Despite that, the sound from this album remains original and valid, and moreover, in some songs, the use of a piano or keyboards is decidedly fitting.

It's worth noting that The White Stripes certainly did not invest much effort in choosing song titles, which always either echo the first line of the song or the core of the chorus. But this is also a peculiar characteristic of this work. Another aspect that characterizes the completeness of this album is the duration of the songs: we can find any type of duration, from quick tracks like “Hypnotize” (which lasts only 108 seconds, or if you prefer 1’48”), to endless tracks like “Ball And Biscuit” (which goes on for a beautiful 7’18”), passing through regularly timed tracks like "Black Math" (3’03”) or “The Air Near My Fingers” (4’09”). But beyond this, the main characteristic, that is, the ability to be an all-round CD, is mainly highlighted by the numerous musical styles that this album touches: indeed, while always remaining along the lines of instrumental rock, Elephant varies from 70s rock ’n roll, to psychedelic rock, even to country. Technically, it is worth emphasizing the wide range of effects used for the guitar, with not only a massive use of innumerable types of distortions but also effects like "synth" (such as octaver, to reproduce the bass, for example in “The Hardest Button To Button”).

However, technically speaking, the peculiarity of the drums should be highlighted: firstly, it is characterized by the scarcity of pieces used, few drums and few cymbals (even going so far as to discard the use of the hi-hat); secondly, there is an undeniable absolute lack of a serious drum attack, and indeed The White Stripes limit themselves to hitting a crash to indicate entering the chorus, with excessive use of the timpani and bass drum played to keep time. But this musical style is not a compromise between capability and opportunity, rather it is a musical choice, as explained by The White Stripes themselves in an interview. Even though I still can't understand how they manage to perform their pieces live…