Album Review: Jack White ‘Acoustic Recordings 1998-2016’

It’s safe to say Jack White has had a pretty stellar career, and now he’s returned with his first release since 2014’s ‘Lazaretto’. ‘Acoustic Recordings 1998-2016’ is exactly what it sounds like, a collection of acoustic recordings White has made throughout his career. There’s not much new material on here but for hardcore Jack White fans this will be an essential to add to the collection, with 26 tracks to feast your ears on.

The compilation includes acoustic versions of White’s solo work and songs from The White Stripes and his successful side band The Raconteurs. While some of the songs on this unplugged compilation sound very similar to the original, there are a couple of songs that we’ve heard before but were never actually released.

Nearly every song on this album sounds like its original on sleeping pills, and that could be a great thing or a bad thing depending on how you look at it. A lot of the songs, like We’re Going to Be Friends and You’ve Got Her In Your Pocket, sound almost identical to their original version…almost, but not quite the same. Everything on this compilation has at least been made at least a little softer, a little sweeter, and a little sleepier.

While most songs sound just a little toned down, some sound pretty different. The Raconteurs’ Top Yourself is one of the tracks that’s had a bit of a makeover, sounding less heavy and more bluegrass. And then there’s a couple of gems that have never officially been released until now.

One of the gems, an acoustic version of White’s solo track Love Is The Truth, was actually featured in a Coca-Cola commercial that aired just once and then disappeared. It probably sounds much sweeter without that corporate feel to it anyway. The album also includes the first concrete version of his sweet tune City Lights, a soft and smooth feel-good melody.

You’ve heard everything on this album before, you’ve just never heard it quite like this. There’s nothing particularly groundbreaking here, but for serious fans it’s a refreshing new way to hear some of your favourite music.

Jack White started The White Stripes in 1997 with his then-wife Megan White, although they acted like siblings through their band personas. Even though the pair split in 2005, they kept playing until 2011. White began his side band The Raconteurs in 2006, which went a bit less blues and a bit more folk. Then in 2009, he teamed up with Alison Mosshart (The Kills) for a more alternative take on blues-rock.

His solo career started with a bang in 2012 when White released his debut album ‘Blunderbuss’ to great reviews. In 2014, ‘Lazaretto’ carried on his status as a blues super-rocker. With the release of ‘Acoustic Recordings 1998-2016’, he now has 14 albums under his frayed fedora.

Check out the acoustic version of Carolina Drama, originally by The Raconteurs, below!