Vinyl of the Week - 3 May 2020

Lazaretto, Jack White

This week takes us into a completely wonderful and quirky world, courtesy of Jack White. Best known for founding The White Stripes with first wife Meg, Jack is one of the most individual and unique artists of our time, both musically and conceptually. Jack started his own studio and record pressing plant, Third Man Records, and it’s in this context that we look at this week’s album ‘Lazaretto’. This record can only be described as full of the unexpected. It has a heap of surprises musically and physically. You drop the needle on track one side one and are met with... nothing, nada, jack. You think you have a faulty record. You don’t. It plays from the inside out! There is nothing to indicate this on any of the packaging, you just have to figure it out. And that’s just the start. There are hidden tracks that appear when you play the record at different speeds. Then on the track ‘Just One Drink’ it depends on where you drop the needle as to if the intro is acoustic or electric. There’s also an ‘Ultra LP’ with holograms that appear as it’s played and more hidden tracks. Musically this is just a brilliant album. And, like a lot of Jack’s work, gets better with repeat listens. So if you really want an experience with vinyl, this is simply a must have. Enjoy - DS