Brendan Benson, Jack White’s songwriting partner in the Raconteurs, returns on Tuesday with his latest solo album, “My Old Familiar Friend.”
TRIVIA: Benson told Rolling Stone he used only vintage instruments to record the album, which was produced by Gil Norton (Foo Fighters, Pixies).
STANDOUTS: Benson uses a string section that would be at home in an Al Green hit for the ode to broken hearts, “Garbage Day.”
FANS DIG: Nashville rock ’n’ roll
ANDY SAYS: Benson, the lovable Paul McCartney to Jack White’s abrasive John Lennon, has been due for a wider audience for years. He may finally get it, now that rock fans know his name; he can thank two successful Raconteurs albums for that. While Benson’s songs can be predictable, his love for scruffy power pop is often enough infectious, particularly on the punchy album opener, “Whole Lot Better.”
GRADE: B
Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455, arathbun@heraldnet.com.
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