Bagpipes and bluegrass infested punk equals Icky Thump, the White Stripes much anticipated 2007 release-

Many were concerned that after the release of Get Behind Me Satan (2005) The White Stripes might not produce another record together. Jack White formed another band (The Raconteurs) and formed a little family of his own, while Meg headed out west to Los Angeles. However, this minimalist duo showed no signs of giving up on the wonderful candy cane striped spectacle. we have all come to know and love called The White Stripes. Jack and Meg took out all the stops with their 7th album, Icky Thump. We have always known them to be extremely intuitive musicians, and them coming back together to work on this album is truly a blessing. The infusion of music and instruments from genres some of their fans didn't know existed until they heard this album makes this a truly unique album. It is safe to say that this album is the White Stripes and then some. You never have to be reminded that at the core this is the Stripes as it borrows heavily from their past works, however, in the same breath it also takes that body of work and puts a fresh tone on just about every song on the record.

The title track "Icky Thump" is the arguably the most complex song to ever be released by this duo. It includes the staple combination of Meg's methodically pounding drum beat with Jack's screeching guitar riffs and then tops that combo with an array of outside-the-box musical additions that include some brilliantly placed bagpipe and horn sections.

The songwriting on this album is also worthy of being noted. Not that their previous releases have ever slouched in that area but this album has an intriguing narrative that connects with the listener and perfectly meshes with Jack's famed vocal capabilities. After Get Behind Me Satan, it is refreshing to see them go back to their roots a bit as we all know their last record left many hard core enthusiasts scratching their heads with the amount of experimentation they added to that mix. While I found their last album absolutely amazing, I am very impressed by what they have accomplished with their latest work. The magnificent use of bagpipes, bluegrass and crass guitar fuzz makes this an album that should not be skipped over by rock, blues, and bluegrass fans alike.