Turns out The White Stripes' new album does get better with repetition and I'm starting to love it. This, their fifth album, is very different from the previous two. I don't believe I've ever heard the first two, but the last two were a cross between garage rock, punk, and blues, with Jack White's guitar front and center. This one eschews the guitar on most tracks in favor of a piano and some sort of drum that I imagine is one of those Caribbean ones made out of metal with a bunch of flat parts that each makes a different note. The shock I felt when first I listened led to my initial sour reaction, but having a chance to absorb the change allowed me to appreciate it for a new and fresh, yet oddly nostalgic experience. The punk and rock melt away into bluegrassy folk with a latin rhythm (Or is it caribbean? Rhythm and I don't really hang out that much), and the always present blues influence. I probably won't be blasting this in my car like their previous efforts, but I will listen to it intently in the silence of my living room.

I'm still not going to Music Midtown. I have too many weddings coming up, and those are always expensive, so I gotta sacrifice.