Jack White, “Parallel” (2014): One Track Mind

If you’re riding with Jack White, know that you’d best buckle up. He’s going to take more sharp turns over the course of one outing than most artists dare in a career.

Same with the decidedly down-home “Parallel,” an exclusive b-side cover now available on seven-inch vinyl and Mp3 editions of “Would You Fight For Me Love?” from White’s new all-over-the-map solo release Lazaretto. An album that saw Jack White blithely swerve from stomping blues to flinty dance music to insouciant rock could only be augmented by a shit-kicking country addendum, right?

And that’s exactly what you get as he tears into “Parellel,” originally released as part of the Hello=Fire debut album by Dean Fertita, a touring band member of White’s — and a member of the Raconteurs, too.

Well, for a while, anyway. With but a minute or two left, Jack White floors it again, hurtling headlong into this huge prog-rockish finale, complete with mind-expanding keyboards and wow-man ending. That sound you hear was our airbag deploying.

Nick DeRiso

Comments are closed.