Get Behind Me, Satan (by The White Stripes, Alternative Rock)

When a CD comes along that bends our ears with unusual instrumentation and peculiar mixes, it can be disconcerting at first. On their fifth album, GET BEHIND ME, SATAN, the White Stripes pay no attention to the rules in a way that makes this collection of odd songs and quirky performances more powerful. The whole project sounds raw, immediate, and unfinished -- as though someone forgot to go back to the studio to do the final mixes and mastering. Raw and self-indulgent, the songs deliver with an immediacy, but also bend your ear with drum tracks louder than the lead vocals, repetitive and occasionally off-key singing, unconventional lyrics, and strangely rambling melodies.

Positioned snugly between brilliant and weird-for-its-own-sake, GET BEHIND ME, SATAN ends up being well worth the trouble. There's a bit of mildly violent imagery that could be disturbing to younger kids. But the whole CD is an example of what can happen when artists follow their own path and allow themselves to be different.

Released on: June 7, 2005
Label: BMG
Genre: Alternative Rock