Review:
The White Stripes were still one album away from their breakthrough success with 2001’s White Blood Cells, an album that would define the duo as one of the definitive influences of the beginning of the 21st century. The album does display “the early fusion of simplicity of the band’s blues and punk fusion,” WK but the group also displays “an impressive range of styles on their second album, De Stijl,” HP “which incorporates elements of bubblegum, cabaret, blues, and classic rock.” HP
The album’s title comes from “a Dutch art movement and means “The Style.’ Lead singer Jack White had been an admirer of the movement for a long time, especially of furniture designer Gerritt Rietveld.” WK The album is dedicated to him as well as bluesman Blind Willie McTell. HP
“It’s refreshing to hear the band go from the Tommy James-style pop of You’re Pretty Good Looking to the garagey stomp of Hello Operator in a one-two punch. It’s even more impressive that the theatrical, piano-driven ballad Apple Blossom and a cover of Son House’s Death Letter go so well together on the same album. Jack White’s understated production work and versatile guitar playing and vocals also stand out on the languid, fuzzy Sister, Do You Know My Name? as well as insistent rockers like Little Bird and Why Can’t You Be Nicer to Me? As distinctive as it is diverse, De Stijl blends the Stripes’ arty leanings with enough rock muscle to back up the band’s ambitions” HP
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0.5
