Release Date: April 8
Genre: Experimental Rock / Blues Rock
The modern rock legend himself, Jack White, is back with his first of two albums slated for 2022. This man is known for his work in The White Stripes, The Racounters and the number of side projects and collaborations with other artists, including Beyoncé, Insane Clown Posse and more. Weird combination of artists to guest with, I know, but it shows how eclectic and widespread his work has become. This man keeps himself busy, and none of what I stated includes his solo projects.
On that note, Jack White has made an artistic shift with his solo material. His last album, Boarding House Reach, ventures into the realm of experimental rock, as many of the songs take an avant-garde approach. Thanks to that, we got tracks like the twisted gospel piano ballad "Connected by Love," the rock-jazz-rap fusion of "White Station Zebra," the psychedelic 70s cop show theme song-styled "Corporation" and more. Needless to say, this album was weird, resulting in his most polarizing crop of songs in his career. Critics and audiences were pretty split on what they thought of it. Some thought it was a stroke of creative genius, while others thought it was complete nonsense. As for me, I'm somewhat on the fence, maybe slightly leaning towards the negative. There are some brilliant moments here, but there are some that cause me to scratch my head.
Now, we have Fear of the Dawn. This project comes to us four years after Boarding House Reach, and it will be followed up by Entering Heaven Alive, which is releasing in July. This album is a lot more focused than Boarding House Reach. Sure, that album is, to an extent, cohesive, but it's a jumble of sounds that make it seem like Jack was throwing things at the wall to see what sticks. With Fear of the Dawn, that feeling is still there, but there is a much more consistent vibe and sound palette that Jack is going for. On one hand, that makes this album feel more like a complete experience. On the other, it leads into this project having its own sort of problems. But in all transparency, as I'm typing these words, I'm still not entirely sure what my thoughts are on this album as a whole. It's really hard to pin down what exactly about Fear of the Dawn that does and does not work. To help with that, let's go through the album track by track to see what I can glean from it. Hopefully, by the end of the review, I'll have a better understanding of what I've been listening to for the past week or so.
This album kicks off with the lead single "Taking Me Back," which was initially released to promote the latest Call of Duty game. To this day, I still do not like this track. Sure, there is a solid groove and there's a cool riff or two, but there's three problems I have with this. song One, there is not a strong hook for me to latch onto. Sure, the repetition of the title is there, but it's not sticky enough to grip me. Plus, it's pretty off-putting to listen to hearing Jack wail the words. It's not appealing, is what I'm saying. Two, there is WAY too much fuzz on the guitar. The guitar is coated in so much fuzz and distortion that it tickles my brain. It seems like an unnecessary tool to make the song sound bigger than it actually is, which leads to my last big draw. Three, the song, as a whole, feels empty. The guitar is overcompensating so hard. It's hard to explain, but through all of the distorted guitar riffs, I can't help but tell how hollow the sound of this track is. This guitar tone masks the overall scope of the song, making it sound like it's reaching for a grandiosity that is just not there. As a result, the progression of this track sounds awkward. This song is the equivalent of an M&M shell without any chocolate inside. Sure, it may seem sweet, but there's nothing in there once you crack it open. This may seem like a controversial opinion, but I do not care for this song.
I much prefer the following song. The title track is everything I want "Taking Me Back" to be and more. That riff is awesome, and the fuzz adds so much to it. Jack's vocals sound menacing as hell, and those weird, echoing guitar squeals after every line add such a cool, eerie atmosphere. It's barely over two minutes long, but it hits so hard. It's a perfect song to headbang to. This is the closest Jack gets to metal on the entire album, and I quite like it.
Next is "The White Raven," which is an absolute mess of a song. It's a hodge-podge of different riffs that never come together in a cohesive way. It starts off cool enough with a nice, suspenseful lick, but it quickly turns into a riff that sounds a note or two away from going full butt rock. The guitar tone sounds awful, Jack's voice is wild to the point of being obnoxious and the chorus is downright unlistenable. In my opinion, this is easily the worst track on the album.
Then we have "Hi-De-Ho." This might be Jack's weirdest song yet, and after knowing his last album, that is saying something. This is a tribute to jazz singer Cab Calloway, and it is a strange one at that. It starts off with this off-kilter guitar that sets the tone, leading into a build that samples Cab himself. Then you get this bass lick that sets the foundation for the rest of the song. Q-Tip drops a verse, then an acoustic passage comes into play with these really weird "yeah yeahs" that take me off guard with each listen. Then the song continues as Jack gives us these really weird, garbled ad-libs. It is such a strange song, and it is a clear indication that Jack White does not care what we think about his music. He's making what he wants to make, and I respect that. As for the song itself, while it did leave me scratching my head as a single, I've grown more fond of it with each listen. If anything, it shows us a more lighthearted side of Jack, and I like that. Plus, I just love that bass lick. It's so good.
"Eosophobia" has a similar problem to "The White Raven," in that it's a combination of various riffs that don't really come together, though the end result of this track is much more appealing. The riffs are catchier, the guitar tone is much more listenable, and some of the vocal writing is pretty cool. Not my favorite on the album, but it is a nice moment.
The following track, "Into the Twilight," takes on a songwriting approach similar to tracks like "Corporation" and "Respect Commander" from Boarding House Reach. It repeats a specific riff and adds some weirdness and oddity throughout to give it progression as the vocals act as another aesthetic addition rather than a focal point. By that, I mean that what's being said takes a backseat to what the music is doing. It's pretty cool and I like the "here in the twilight" refrain, but the song drags as it goes along. The song is about a minute too long, and the experimentation doesn't fully justify the length. Even still, not a bad cut.
After a short and unnecessary interlude with "Dusk," we have "What's the Trick?," which might be my favorite song on the album. I love this riff. It's so gritty and dirty, and I love how loose it is. It has a specific chemistry with the drums that shows the perfect amount of imperfection without coming off as sloppy. It's a hard thing to explain, but it's messy in a way that sounds kickass instead of being poorly performed. Plus, Jack's spoken word verses contain some of his most intriguing songwriting on the entire album. It's a great rager of a song.
"That Was Then, This Is Now" is one of the most straightforward tracks on the album. It follows a pretty simple verse-chorus structure, though with a few extra passages thrown in the mix. It sounds like a combination between his older sound with his newer experimental phase, and the result is great. I love the riff and how it slows down when the organ hits. The chorus is one of the catchiest on the album, and the overall vibe of this track is an absolute blast. This is another strong highlight.
From here, we get a reprise of "Eosophobia." Don't really know why, but it's there. It doesn't add anything to the original, nor does it add anything to the album. There's a cool interpolation of one of the riffs that the original song had, but that's about it. Honestly, based on the way that the reprise was starting out, I was hoping that it would be fully instrumental. That would have been cool. But no, we still have Jack White wailing about being afraid of the dawn here. It's not bad by any means, but it's pretty pointless.
The penultimate track, "Morning, Noon and Night," is easily the most straightforward and, for a lack of better words, normal track on the album. It has a simple verse-chorus structure without too much weirdness. Really, the only thing off about this track is the synth tone. Unfortunately, that synth tone really takes me out of the song. The guitars and drums give off a strong classic rock vibe, but the keyboard has a milky texture to it that completely clashes with the rest of the song. It makes the song sound disjointed in its production. It's a shame, because it's an otherwise solid song, but that keyboard really rubs me the wrong way.
The album ends with "Shedding My Velvet," which is a groovy, soulful ballad with a beautiful acoustic guitar passage and some interesting textures. It does a great job at bringing all of the weirdness and harsh tones on previous tracks into a nice calm. The music on this track is easily the most pleasing on the ears here, and I like it a lot. Jack's vocals are quite strained, but there's a lot of passion in his performance, and I can't help but commend it. It's a great breather for the album, and I imagine that it will be a nice segue into his next project once it gets released in July.
And that's Fear of the Dawn. Reviewing the album in this way has helped me cement my thoughts on it as a whole. So where do I stand? I think this album is decent. Like Boarding House Reach, I am somewhat on the fence with this one, but unlike Boarding House Reach, I'm leaning more towards the positive. The overall project has a more sonically consistent style that makes for a more complete listen. Not every moment works, and the heavy fuzz on the guitars can be grating at points, but the songs that work are fantastic. I know Entering Heaven Alive will be a change of pace, but it's still cool seeing Jack White take his typical blues rock sound into weird directions. It shows me that he is in full control of his music, and I respect that. Check it out.
Best Tracks: Fear of the Dawn; Hi-De-Ho; What's the Trick?; That Was Then, This Is Now; Shedding My Velvet
Worst Track: The White Raven
Grade: B-
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