"No Name": Jack White's new release with a set of guerrilla blues

 When Jack White dropped No Name on July 19, the shock didn’t just come from the manner of the release. That was drama in itself - the record, an anonymous white label, was handed to customers for free at White’s Third Man stores and posted to some Vault subscribers. But every bit as surprising was the music, which saw White revisit the ferocious garage blues with which he first made his name in The White Stripes. This was a pounding set of 13 songs that were as raw, fresh and fierce as anything he’d done for years, with some of White’s best riffs since Blunderbuss and his most unapologetic, red-(and-white) blooded rock album since Elephant.

In fact, has White ever released an album that’s quite as heavy as this one? Most White Stripes records had some country or folk, or put Meg White on vocals to offer a more gentle way into a song. By contrast, No Name is unrelenting and almost unhinged. As a solo artist and member of The Dead Weather and The Raconteurs, White has released some great records since he retired The White Stripes (including two solo albums in 2022 alone - Fear Of The Dawn and Entering Heaven Alive) and his live shows are always a righteous blast, but he’s never sounded quite as unshackled, delirious and, well, happy as he does here. “I’m on a mission, baby ”, he roars on the jubilant “Missionary”, and suddenly it’s 2001 all over again.

On the day of release, shoppers were handed a record marked only by a label saying ‘No Name’ and the etchings “Heaven And Hell” on Side A and “Black And Blue” on Side B. Fans quickly realized this was a Jack White album and Third Man social media encouraged lucky owners to “rip it”. The buzz was huge. A week later, more information emerged when White played a show in Nashville to raise funds for a local venue. He debuted six of the new songs, after which he told fans there was a surprise for them at the merch store - a more complete version of the album was being given away. This one was on blue vinyl with cover, track list and personnel - White’s band includes his wife Olivia Jean and daughter Scarlett, plus Dominic Davis on bass and Raconteurs drummer Patrick Keeler. A full release followed a week later at the start of August. Collectively, it formed one of the smartest album drops in years, as well as one that entirely befits the hit-and-run guerilla blues nature of the recordings.

The opener, “Old Scratch Blues”, is a menacing “Killing Floor” blues with crashing cymbals that acts as a wicked introduction to the record. Any thoughts that this might be a gimmick or bunch of cast-offs are dispelled long before the end of the first side, with the psych rattle of “Bombing Out”. By the time you reach the headrush of “Number One With A Bullet” and the majestic “Morning At Midnight”, with cool Hammond and R&B Graham Bond Organization groove, it’s clear this is one of the best albums of the year.

No Name has some of the greatest guitar sounds that will be heard on any record released in 2024, as well as flashes of White’s sometimes overlooked sense of humour. On the ridiculous yet completely brilliant “Archbishop Harold Holmes”, White affects a rap/spoken word- delivery, sermonizing over screeching guitars that combine Sabbath gloom and Hendrix runs with the crushed fizz of Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. “Old Scratch Blues” includes the tongue-in-cheek line that “nothing in this world is free”, while the Miller’s Crossing-referencing “What’s The Rumpus?” is a study of the relationship between fan, artist and industry with a great chorus: “What’s the rumpus?/When will the label dump us?/ What genre will they lump us?”

On No Name, Jack digs deep into hard rock and breaks out effects and pedals not played with this much intensity and freedom on one of his albums for years. “Tonight (Was A Long Time Ago)” starts like Dr Feelgood before building into a speaker-thrashing AC/DC-inspired crescendo, while “What’s The Rumpus?” has a grimy rock strut and wicked solo that recalls a sort of scuzzed-up hair metal. “Bless Yourself” is psychotic garage punk with a new wave solo, while “It’s Rough On Rats (If You’re Asking)” has frantic Cream-style riffs and echoes of classic Stripes tracks like “Ball And Biscuit”. One of the peaks comes on the distorted slide guitar of “Underground”.

There’s a real Zep II echo to the latter, and the group form a major reference point overall, but always filtered through that miraculously reborn Detroit garage lens. The closing number, “Terminal Archenemy Endling”, sees White and his band explore “Kashmir”-style territory, while dogs howl and bark, enjoying the show. Like all great artists, White has a mortal fear of repetition, but No Name shows that looking back doesn’t need to mean regression. Here he’s done something very special and entirely on his own terms, to the delight and surprise of his audience. It’s one of the great, purest rock’n’roll moments in years.