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Jack White review – a wild tightrope walk across thrash, funk and hip-hop

The Garage, London
The former White Stripes frontman twists up and melts down material old and new – and channels Roxy Music along the way

Some mischaracterise Jack White as a dad-rock revivalist in deadening thrall to tradition and craft, but this does a disservice to just how electric, wilful and weird an artist he truly is. This is a man who effected a rock revolution armed with limited musical elements, a monochromatic wardrobe and an ex-wife he pretended was his sister, and who tonight risks the ire of millennials by banning smartphones, to have thecrowd’s full attention. Doing things straight has never been a part of the plan.

This explains his gonzo new album Boarding House Reach, which adds wild funk, offbeat gospel and, most unexpectedly, hip-hop to his palette and which, against fierce odds, mostly works. One of a handful of intimate gigs White is playing this week in Los Angeles, New York and London to celebrate the album’s release, tonight sees White debut a number of Boarding House Reach tunes, along with highlights from his back catalogue, adapted for his new band.

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from Culture | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2J6271a

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