Tom Moon on the White Stripes

"Elephant, the fourth album from the Detroit duo known as the White Stripes … opens with one savage blast of rock and roll, a quintessential track one that telegraphs the big rock noise to follow. 'Seven Nation Army' transforms a lover's declaration of devotion ('A seven-nation army couldn't hold me back') into a crusade framed by a guitar riff that incorporates great hooks from British blues-rock of the late '60s and brash American arena fare of the '70s. The White Stripes—guitarist, singers, and songwriter Jack White, drummer and singer Meg White—first attracted attention in 2001 with a fuzzed up, irreverent take on the blues and an ear for quirky pop songs. … Elephant finds the duo in its comfort zone. … At the same time, it expands the Stripes' raw sound, with lilting piano and country-style guitar strumming, and, on the bizarro breakup song 'There's No Home for You Here,' lugubrious, defiantly out-of-time shards of metal guitar. … Follow the White Stripes through simple hooks, prog-rock darkness, and campy vaudeville routines, and it becomes clear that this band … made one of the most consistently riveting rock records of all time" (1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die, p. 857).