Lost Feelings Of Love

Jack White “Alone In My Home”

Jack White’s last album, his solo debut, is unquestionably my favorite record he’s ever made. So it’s definitely a let down for me that his second solo record, Lazaretto, feels so uninspired. White has a level of craft and talent that keeps the record from being *bad*, but most of the songs sound like he’s just kinda going through the motions and writing material that falls into his stock song types. He seems content with being himself, which is great, but unless you’re a super fan it’s never that interesting to hear an artist just sorta coast along. It’s funny how the things that get on my nerves on this record – his female duet partner, the lush ’60s country arrangements, White’s old-timey affectations in general – didn’t bother me at all when he had a ridiculously strong set of songs the last time around.

There’s a few keepers, though – “Three Women” and the title track are fine if a bit too much like older, better songs, and “Just One Drink” and “Alone In My Home” are well-written pop tunes. The latter is definitely my favorite – I really like White in piano mode, and the lyrics play on his paranoia and anxieties in a way that doesn’t grate with a sense of martyrdom and entitlement, like a lot of the other songs.

Buy it from Amazon.