The Raconteurs have announced details of their long-awaited new album ‘Help Us Stranger’.
They announced last year that plans were underway for a new record after the four-piece recently returned to action by releasing two new songs, ‘Sunday Driver’ and ‘Now That You’re Gone’.
Now, ahead of a busy summer of touring and festivals, the supergroup have announced what they hail as “the rock n’ roll album you’ve been waiting for” with their first record in over a decade. Jack White, Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence, and Patrick Keeler will drop ‘Help Us Stranger’ on June 21 via Third Man Records.
Fans can pre-order via a special ‘Vault Package’ here.
Their forthcoming third album has been described as a blend of “prodigious riffs, blues power, sinewy psychedelia, Detroit funk, and Nashville soul”, and saw White and Benson pen all of the songs together except for the Donovan cover ‘Hey Gyp (Dig The Slowness)’.
Recorded and produced by the band themselves at White’s Third Man Studio’s, the album also sees appearances from keyboardist/multi- instrumentalist Dean Fertita (The Dead Weather, Queens of the Stone Age) and Lillie Mae Rische and her sister Scarlett Rische.
The tracklist for ‘Help Is Stranger’ is:
Recommended
Bored and Razed
Help Me Stranger
Only Child
Don’t Bother Me
Shine The Light On Me
Somedays (I Don’t Feel Like Trying)
Hey Gyp (Dig The Slowness)
Sunday Driver
Now That You’re Gone
Live A Lie
What’s Yours Is Mine
Thoughts and Prayers
The Raconteurs return with their first show in eight years at the Third Man Records 10 Year Anniversary celebration in Nashville on Saturday (April 6), before a summer of headline and festival shows – including an appearance at London’s All Points East.
The band have also recently announced that they will be releasing a special 3-inch single for Record Store Day 2019 on April 13. Their track ‘Store Bought Bones’ will be pressed onto an exclusive 3-inch single for the occasion.
INTRODUCING VAULT PACKAGE #40: THE RACONTEURS – HELP US STRANGER (Sign up by April 30th!) https://t.co/P1IZkvhRnE pic.twitter.com/mZUdHXlVN3
— The Vault (@TMRVault) April 2, 2019
The band were last active in 2011 after playing a handful of shows. Last year, White released a new solo album, ‘Boarding House Reach’ and has been continuing to work with his other band, the Dead Weather.
Reviewing White’s solo album last year, NME wrote: “Those wanting a taste of the old Jack won’t be left wanting either. ‘What’s Done Is Done’ brings his way with a bluegrassy ballad bang up to date while opener ‘Connected By Love’ balances his fondness for experimentalism with a powerful melody and universal message. The old Jack is still there, certainly, but we’re far more excited about what the new one has up his sleeves.”