Jack White’s ‘No Name’ Is Full of the Fiery Rock and Roll His Fans Have Been Lusting for: Album Review

variety.com:

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music With no disrespect to the five fine solo albums Jack White has created in the last dozen years, it’s safe to say that “No Name” — the vinyl-only set he stealth-released on Friday, packaged in a plain white sleeve and given away for free at his Third Man Records stores — is the one fans have been lusting for: a fiery, straight-ahead, just-plug-in-and-let-rip rock and roll album in the vein of his dearly beloved and dearly departed White Stripes, but without seeming retro or leaning too heavily on nostalgia.

We can also say, with as much confidence as two and a half days and multiple plays can offer, it’s the freshest and most exciting rock and roll album to come down the pike in years — and as of right now, it’s only available on rare vinyl, bootleg streams or seemingly-official MP3s: Late Friday, Third Man posted a graphic over an image of the LP on its Instagram Story with the caption “Rip It.” (Awesomely, the MP3 includes some vinyl run-off-groove scratches at the end.) Fans will know what to expect: 42 minutes and 14 songs of full-throttle, hard-riffing rock, much of it seemingly recorded live in the studio, comprised entirely of White’s testifying vocals and scorching guitar accompanied by a kickass rhythm section (likely his longtime drummer Daru Jones and bassist Dominic Davis), with just the occasional keyboard or backing vocal overdub.

The songs vary between fast and midtempo, with the musicians expertly mixing up the dynamics, bringing the intensity up and down (sometimes several times in a single song), showing just how much a tight band can do with a relatively simple format.