Man, Jack White can craft some great songs. The White Stripes new album, Get Behind Me Satan is made up of 14 songs that resist classification. I guess this album is much different that the earlier White Stripe releases, but you can be the judge for yourself. I can’t see a White Stripes fan not enjoying their new album. The sounds are inventive, the lyrics are raw and intelligent, and the music is great.

My only concern is that it might not have much staying power in my rotation. Earlier White Stripes albums are great, but I don’t find myself returning to them regularly. Maybe that is because the music demands attention. I can’t listen to them in the background, which is what I like to do alot. When Jack White starts singing, I have to stop what I am doing and pay attention. That is more of a compliment than a complaint, so don’t let that discourage you from getting it. It really is an impressive album. The cover design is nice, too. Staying true to the White Stripes brand, they are sticking with the black/red/white color photography. You can’t go wrong with that.

*Push Barman To Open Old Wounds* is a two disk collection of Belle & Sebastian LP’s that were released from 1997-2001. These songs were only written over a 5 year period, but they fit together very well. Some of the 25 songs have never been released in the United States. When I heard about this album I rushed to iTunes only to be disappointed that they were asking $19.99 for it. Why do they do that? I waited a couple days and picked it up at the store for $13.99. Having the liner notes is really nice because it shows the cover art for each of the LP’s not to mention the lyrics and some band history.

Belle and Sebastian are so untraditional that I think it causes many people to question how relevant they are in today’s music market. They fill a unique niche that few bands would dare embrace. B&S write songs that are intensely vulnerable both musically and lyrically. Their lyrics humbly struggle with personal weakness while backed by orchestration that elevates the words beyond the mundane or trivial. I think that is why this album rises above the traditionally mediocre unreleased music compilations by other bands. It is a great collection that I highly recommend to anyone who missed the LP’s the first time around.