Two Bad Ass White Kids

In the mood for some good old fashioned new wave garage rock revivalism? White Blood Cells, the third album from the duo the White Stripes is the perfect summer soundtrack for tearing up suburbia in a rusty tank car in the blistering sun. With Meg White on drums and Jack White on lead vocals, and guitar, their raw, tinny sans a bass sound and quirky lyrics recall their great predecessors the Kinks and Led Zeppelin. The White Stripes breathe a refreshing breath into the alt-rock scene by dropping the “alt.”

From the infections, poppy “Fell in Love with a Girl,” to the borderline country “Hotel Yorba,” to the hard edged track “Expecting,” the album kicks off punchy and grabs you. Once they’ve got you by the extremities, the White Stripes chill out with the tooth-achingly sweet “We’re Going to be Friends” and the mellow yet rockin’ “I Can Learn.” The diversity inherent in the tracks keeps White Blood Cells interesting enough to keep on repeat at a mid-summer, late night porch gathering.

Remember when it was about the music? Someone was bound to bring it back eventually, and the White Stripes do it, rock star style. Rock? I’ll take two.