Rock 'n' roll hasn't died yet because Jack White won't let it.
I know that's a simplified way of looking at things. For all the constant consternation about the death of rock, there are always exciting bands around the corner. From hard-charging punks like Amyl and the Sniffers to the genre-bending Fontaines D.C., the kids will always have cool new bands to look up to. Hell, White isn't even the only Aughts garage rocker still doing his thing. The Strokes released a new album just a few weeks ago, and Nashville's Be Your Own Pet is still as ferocious as ever.
But with the fractured state of the music industry and pop culture at large, there is maybe something to White representing a dying breed: the old-school, mainstream rockstar. With his latest album Frozen Charlotte, released July 10, he seems to be embracing his classic-rock era.
As a sort of spiritual sequel to 2024's Grammy-nominated No Name, Frozen Charlotte is another all-killer, no-filler set of pared-back rippers from White and his excellent backing band. You could tell from the first singles — "G.O.D. and the Broken Ribs" and "Derecho Demonico" — that White and company weren't messing around. For the first time in his solo career, White has solidified a consistent group of musicians for more than one album cycle. Back from No Name are bassist Dominic Davis and Raconteurs drummer Patrick Keeler. The trio recruited No Name tour musician Bobby Emmett to play keys on Frozen Charlotte. Like longtime associates Davis and White, Emmett is in Nashville by way of Detroit.
Frozen Charlotte features a bit more experimentation than the bluesy garage-rock singles would suggest. But it's more focused than 2018's sprawling Boarding House Reach or the 2022 duo of Fear of the Dawn and Entering Heaven Alive.
I've always admired White's fearlessness when it comes to trying new things — who else would perform on albums by Loretta Lynn and A Tribe Called Quest, or Wanda Jackson and Beyoncé — but it's also thrilling to watch him excel at what he's good at. Sometimes, you just need to let it rip.
Frozen Charlotte can be found on your favorite streaming services and on physical media formats via Third Man Records. White will have a two-night stand at new Nashville venue The Truth on Oct. 9 and 10.
