As Day 200 draws closer and closer, I’ve decided to declare the next seven days White Week! But don’t go running for your hooded robes and wooden crosses, you racist. This week belongs to Jack White, the insanely talented former guitarist of The White Stripes, I hope the former drummer of mediocre The Dead Weather, and quite possibly the current guitarist of The Raconteurs. Jack White has been a prominent name in the music industry for over a decade now. The only problem is that as a fairly obsessive fan of his, I’ve heard nearly everything that he’s ever released. This week will feature the few recordings (albums only, of course) that I have yet to hear by him, as well as some LPs that he has produced. I’ve informed my father of the theme for this week, and as a Jack White fan himself, I’m sure he’ll have an idea for Dad-Rock Tuesday.
For an album “starring” Jack White, there sure isn’t all that much Jack White in Rome. That’s all good in my book, though. This record’s strange concept and surprising listenability make up for the lack of Jack.
Rome is a soundtrack to a nonexistent movie. It pays homage to spaghetti westerns of the ’60s, and heavily features chanting by the reunited The Good, the Bad and the Ugly choir. Without lyrics for most of its 35 minutes, Rome really does sounds like it should accompany a film. It creates a serene and eerie atmosphere, which is only exacerbated when Jack White and Norah Jones make their limited appearances.
While this definitely isn’t how I envisioned opening up White Week, I still thoroughly enjoyed this album. Rome sounds nothing like Jack White’s trademarked brand of gritty garage-blues-rock, but I’ll admit, it’s a really cool idea that is executed well. It would have been nice to hear Jack on guitar at some point in the record, though.
Swole Ear 