3rd July - The White Stripes' White Blood Cells

Artist – Album: The White Stripes – White Blood Cells

Released:  3^rd July 2001

Sounds Like: Bloody good

So, another day, another White Stripes album. Today’s White Blood Cells joins Elephant, Get Behind Me Satan and Icky Thump as another of the Detroit duos albums to get the Albumaday... treatment. And you know what? This could be the best of the lot.

It doesn’t take long to be immersed in its rambling rock and roll genius. The swaggering garage rock of ‘Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground’ is followed up terrifically by the bumbling county rock of ‘Hotel Yorba’ in probably the finest opening one-two of their career. With these two being trailed by the sweetly behind the times ‘I’m Finding It Harder to Be a Gentleman’ and the frankly peerless indie rock of ‘Fell in Love with a Girl’ (so good not even the foghorn vocalled Joss Stone or my high school band could spoil it), the album sets off on one hell of a roll. Equally impressively, they keep it just as energetic, playful and witty throughout.

And... we're done!

Albumaday... rating:  9/10

1.       Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground – 3:04

2.       Hotel Yorba – 2:10

3.       I’m Finding It Harder to Be a Gentleman – 2:54

4.       Fell in Love with a Girl – 1:50

5.       Expecting – 2:03

6.       Little Room – 0:50

7.       The Union Forever – 3:26

8.       The Same Boy You’ve Always Known – 3:09

9.       We’re Going to Be Friends – 2:22

10.   Offend in Every Way – 3:06

11.   I Think I Smell a Rat – 2:04

12.   Aluminium – 2:19

13.   I Can’t Wait – 3:38

14.   Now Mary – 1:47

15.   I Can Learn – 3:31

16.   This Protector – 2:12

Listen to ‘Fell in Love with a Girl’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q27BfBkRHbs