Jack White recording new album in NYC & LA; "Boarding House Reach" (03/23/2018)

Well, that's disappointing...especially since Jack White won the Dynamic Range Day Award for
Blunderbuss (DR11) in 2013. Lazaretto (DR10) was nominated in 2015.


I wonder what the source of this DR analysis was...probably a vinyl rip:


Jack White - Boarding House Reach
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DR Peak RMS Filename
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DR10 -1.15 dB -14.57 dB 01 - Connected by Love.mp3
DR11 -1.92 dB -15.84 dB 02 - Why Walk a Dog.mp3
DR11 -1.06 dB -14.24 dB 03 - Corporation.mp3
DR12 -4.23 dB -19.31 dB 04 - Abulia and Akrasia.mp3
DR12 -2.02 dB -16.94 dB 05 - Hypermisophoniac.mp3
DR12 -1.15 dB -15.83 dB 06 - Ice Station Zebra.mp3
DR11 -0.93 dB -13.69 dB 07 - Over and Over and Over.mp3
DR11 -1.07 dB -16.52 dB 08 - Everything You've Ever Learned.mp3
DR11 -0.92 dB -15.71 dB 09 - Respect Commander.mp3
DR13 -5.85 dB -21.90 dB 10 - Ezmerelda Steals the Show.mp3
DR10 -1.76 dB -15.94 dB 11 - Get in the Mind Shaft.mp3
DR12 -1.79 dB -16.84 dB 12 - What's Done Is Done.mp3
DR13 -1.74 dB -19.32 dB 13 - Humoresque.mp3
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of files: 13
Official DR value: DR12

 

Got the vinyl today and listened to it three times in a row. Seriously, what’s not to like? This is just totally free form, music freed from boxes, a gift to music listeners willing to just sit down and take it all in. “Where are the songs” they cried. Well, who cares, the MUSIC is here! Having said that this is far from deprived of songs as about half of these tracks use fairly usual song structure. Anyway, this thing just puts a smile on my face. So Jack, thank you for the great music of the past but most of all thank you for letting the future look a little brighter.

 

What's not to like? Well, that's a loaded question.

 

Yes it is which is fine on a forum. It should be taken as an invitation to add an opinion. But you need not as I already know you don’t like the cover and you “don’t get it” (the album) and you “don’t feel the need to revisit it”. And that is all good but you already made your opinion clear to everyone following this thread.

 

I haven't given it a full listen to it yet but this might not be the best endorsement for me as I'm not at all a Beefheart fan.

 

I like this so much that I will get the vinyl, too. Were are they pressed at? United or Jack's new place? Thanks.

 

I love the album. My review for Variety here:

Album Review: Jack White’s ‘Boarding House Reach’

 

About 3/4 of it is great! There are a couple of tracks on side 2 that don't do much for me, but I can say that about a lot of albums I like.

It definitely has a groove to it. I have tickets to see him in June - looking forward to it.

 

Got the black vinyl and it's awful. Sounds like a groove damaged thrift store LP that was played 1000 times on a worn out Ceramic stylus. If this was pressed by Jack's own plant (which I suspect it was) then I think he should cut his losses and sell off those presses to someone who will put them to better use. Not exactly a good advertisement for your own company.

By the way, I like the album. It's an interesting departure. It's just a shame that the vinyl pressing is trash.

 

That is a shame and smacks of united. Pressing info for the black vinyl is conspicuously absent from the discogs page as well as the description in the third man store, which even more tellingly goes on to note that the connected by love 7" was pressed at Third Man Detroit.

 

all it takes for the information to be added to discogs is for someone who knows it to add it.

 

There's no circled-U in the deadwax but it's certainly possible given JW's relationship with them. It's a shame because it's a high quality package otherwise - nice tip-on sleeve and poly lined inner sleeve. Once again, all the effort went to packaging and they cheaped out on the most important part - the vinyl itself.

 

Crazy I hear many influences on this album. When JWIII screams “Everything you’ve ever learned,” for some reason Jim Morrison keeps ringing a bell. So far I’ve heard Queen, Hendrix, Stevie Wonder....it’s all over the place.

 

Oh and the late great Prince.

 

I can't stop saying "hello" in the Jack's "Everything You've Ever Learned" voice. It’s addictive.

Also, just noticed what is scrawled into the deadwax: ‘If you don’t like this/I don’t know what to tell you’

 

A few more thoughts upon dozens of listens:

- This album has serious soul. With prickly synths, crunchy riffs and searing licks permeating every song, it feels like Jack’s most cohesive album yet.

- On all the ‘no songs!’ complaints, it reminds me of Kendrick Lamar’s last few albums. A lot of 30-60 second ideas patched together to make a special musical quilt. Nothing is dwelled on long enough to make it seem stale. Perhaps that’s why I’m enjoying every repeated listen as much as the last.

- The ‘Humoresque’ outro is up there with some of my favourite pieces of music JW has ever recorded. Neal Evans’ piano is pure magic.

- Yes, I love this album.

 

For some reason the 22/96 download comes in with a little less DR than the CD, I still thought that it sounded good though.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Analyzed: Jack White / Boarding House Reach (24/96)
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DR Peak RMS Duration Track
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DR5 -0.10 dB -8.42 dB 4:38 01-Connected by Love
DR7 -0.10 dB -9.04 dB 2:29 02-Why Walk a Dog
DR6 -0.10 dB -8.09 dB 5:39 03-Corporation
DR10 -0.10 dB -13.43 dB 1:28 04-Abulia and Akrasia
DR8 -0.10 dB -10.75 dB 3:34 05-Hypermisophoniac
DR7 -0.10 dB -9.44 dB 4:00 06-Ice Station Zebra
DR5 -0.10 dB -6.63 dB 3:36 07-Over and Over and Over
DR7 -0.10 dB -10.17 dB 2:13 08-Everything You've Ever Learned
DR6 -0.10 dB -9.55 dB 4:33 09-Respect Commander
DR13 -0.10 dB -16.25 dB 1:43 10-Ezmerelda Steals the Show
DR7 -0.10 dB -9.50 dB 4:13 11-Get in the Mind Shaft
DR8 -0.10 dB -10.46 dB 2:54 12-What's Done Is Done
DR8 -0.10 dB -13.32 dB 3:11 13-Humoresque
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of tracks: 13
Official DR value: DR7

Samplerate: 96000 Hz
Channels: 2
Bits per sample: 24
Bitrate: 3055 kbps
Codec: FLAC
================================================================================

 

So there are nine different variations of the spoken-word track Get in the Mind Shaft. Nine. They are unmarked, and TMR didn’t keep track of how many they pressed of each.

Have fun with this latest sham.

 

Interesting. Same with the CD, or did that just get one version?

 

Took a few listens, but now I'm starting to love the darn thing. Way to go, Mr. White. You, sir, continue to amaze.

 

This does not seem to have been publicized at all up until now. Can I ask where you read or heard it?

 

The Mind Shaft Variations (sweet band name by the way) were confirmed by Third Man in a Vault chat the other day and the versions have started to make their way online. I have the ‘piano’ version on wax — which seems to be the most common — but have heard the ‘fisherman’ digitally as well. Pretty cool, but to me the best part of the song (and possibly album) is what comes after the poem!

 

Picked it up and listened to it in the truck on the way home liked what I heard. I'm on my second listen this very moment on the home rig, and like the direction he went on this one.

I hear Beefheart, Zappa, and the new Beck, little R&B, & some Soul, its all over the map and I'm enjoying it.

 

finally listened to it and while i'm not going to automatically dismiss it as terrible as others have (and are entitled to!), i have to say it's certainly a mess. i've never felt jack white was brilliant aside from his image and marketing but i've enjoyed almost all of his output. is this weird for sake of being weird? has he truly become so advanced that we can't fully understand yet? i'm not sure, but i'm also not inclined to listen to this steamer much more to try and figure out.

 

Beastie Boys.....