Jack White has released his seventh studio album Frozen Charlotte, a follow-up to the critically acclaimed No Name that digs deeper into brutal, squalid blues-rock. The 40-minute album, released on Third Man Records, features nasty riffs and anarchic energy but suffers from a lack of stylistic diversity.
Fan Service Mode Continues
Following the surprise release of No Name in 2024, which was slipped unlabelled into purchases at Third Man stores, White continues his stripped-down approach. The new album is wholly comprised of mean-mugging blues-rock that recalls his early work with the White Stripes. Opener “GOD and the Broken Ribs” sets the tone with a bolshie retelling of the Genesis story, featuring White rapping over a muscular blues chug.
Production and Instrumentation Focus
Unlike the witty, political No Name, Frozen Charlotte is more focused on production and instrumentation. Heavy delay effects on “Raising the Grain” create a wobbly, destabilised atmosphere, while “You’ll Never Fix Me” is a garage barnstormer with defiant lyrics. White’s voice carries a fury that sells lines like “click clack, back track, tick tock, smack talk”.
Lack of Stylistic Variance
Despite its fun moments, Frozen Charlotte can feel samey. There is little stylistic variance between songs, with overdriven guitar solos and sneery punk-rap dominating. By the time “She’s in a Frenzy” arrives, listeners may wonder if the album has looped back to the start. The standout track “Neighbors Blues” offers a welcome departure, playing like a theme song for the HBO show Neighbors with simmering aggression and genuine tension.
Part of a Renaissance
White, 51, has been undergoing a career renaissance since No Name. After his influence and celebrity seemed to outweigh his output in the mid-2010s, he has proven that reputation isn’t everything if the music resonates. Frozen Charlotte is a pure form of fan service, preferable to overblown records like 2022’s Fear of the Dawn, but it might have been helped by an even more back-to-basics approach.
