The first official single from the album of the same name, 'Lazaretto' finds blues-rock's very own vampire once again indulging his hip-hop fantasies - and with sophisticated, brazen results. Following the same jam-session aesthetic of the Lazaretto reveal track 'High Ball Stepper', it's a stubbornly uncompromising affair; swaggering through effortlessly cool riffs and strutting tempos at its own leisurely pace, it simply demands your attention - and not the other way round. White's menacing vocals are similarly captivating; blending a mixture of singing, spitting and rapping, they sound at times strikingly, bizarrely similar to fellow Detroiter Eminem. Then threaded between the swaggering rhythm, Super Mario soundbites, impenetrable lyrics and bassline hook, it results in an inimitable mash-up of blues-rock and hip-hop influence White previously showcased on Blunderbuss' 'Freedom At 21'. And in truth, it's the kind of musical casserole only Jack White could have the audacity and talent to pull off - and the kind that reminds us why seven years after the White Stripes curtain-call Icky Thump, White stubbornly remains such a vital figure in alternative rock.
LISTEN: Jack White, 'Lazaretto'
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