REVIEW: Jack White - Fear of the Dawn
Jack White is no stranger to sonic extravagance. While he upheld a minimalist motif in such early acts The White Stripes, he has unequivocally adopted a “kitchen sink” mentality on every one of his solo releases. And, why shouldn’t he? Like an artist that fills every corner of the canvas, White has used his endless array of old-timey tricks and modern resources to successfully create one suffused album after another. As with any artist’s efforts to create music that is so dense in style, certain records are unable to capture the same ear candy musical moments as such early-career tracks as Hotel Yorba or Blue Orchid. Albums like Lazeretto or his mildly esoteric 2018 album Boarding House Reach showcases an artist whose genius is apparent, but at times sacrifices groove for heady approach. With the recent release of his latest album, Fear of the Dawn, White has not only perfectly married his penchant for combining jarring transitions with insatiable grooves, but along the way he has also created one of the best records of his career.
The album features some of White’s heaviest guitar tones to date. The one-two-three punch of Fear of the Dawn’s opening three tracks could almost lead one to wonder if this is the same artist that released Boarding House Reach four short years ago. Taking Me Back kicks of the album with a power chord riff and tone that can only be compared to that of a sledge hammer attempting to pound its way through the speakers. Catchy as ever, the song bobs and weaves through many musical White-isms fans have become accustomed to. Descending synths coupled with ascending guitar solos performed in his signature lead tone. The opener then seamlessly gives way to the title track which just might be the most metal song that White has ever written.
Fear of the Dawn really takes off and finds it’s groove on track four; Hi-De-Ho which features Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest. Fans of ATCQ’s 2016 masterpiece We Got It From Here… won’t be surprised by the collaboration as White’s guitar licks were an ever-present theme on the album. Here Q-Tip’s playful flows follow an epic, hispanic inspired intro featuring Jack yodeling like he was a member of Ennio Morricone’s orchestra on a soundstage recording a spaghetti western score. The track then gives way to a bouncing bassline and infectious beat that harkens to ear worminess of Seven Nation Army.
Phases of the day are a constant theme on the record. With titles like Eosophobia (which literally means fear of the sun), Dusk, Into the Twilight, and Morning, Noon, and Night. The motif works to grand effect over the course of the succinct forty minute record. In between musings on diurnal courses, White of course embeds his ever clever turns of phrase. In the absolute banger What’s The Trick, he spits with almost venomous quality:
Quit bolting your food
Don't be rude
Plus one and minus one equals zero
That's a defeatist attitude
This is the first of two releases Jack White will be dropping in 2022 amidst and extensive tour to promote both efforts. The album will be tough to follow up, not only for White, but for anyone clamoring to see theirs atop any “Best of” lists come year’s end. At this stage, Fear of the Dawn is front-runner for the Big Muddy Music Hour’s Album of the Year.