De Stijl - White Stripes (The) > Reviews > Let's Build a Little Apple Blossom

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Outstanding
Value for Money

Advantages:	Combination of styles, many great tracks, simple but brilliant
Disadvantages:	Some not too good songs, too short

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I'm pretty sure many of you know who The White Stripes are, but for those of you who don't, picture two not very attractive people whose instrumentation consists almost entirely of guitars (Jack White, who also sings) and drums (Meg White). Remember the smash hits "Seven Nation Army" and, before that, "Fell In Love With A Girl"? Well, that was The White Stripes. If you still don't know who I'm talking about, it's time to get yourself over to the nearest CD store and pick up one (or all four) of their albums.

For though Jack and Meg White use only the most basic of instruments, they manage to create some amazingly full-sounding tunes. After their fantastic self-titled debut, the band's second album De Stijl (which means "The Style" in Dutch) was released in 2000. This was before White Blood Cells and what many consider the group's best, Elephant. I decided to buy De Stijl based upon sound clips I heard of two of the tracks, "Apple Blossom" and "I'm Bound To Pack It Up." Although one of these tracks is still my favourite from the CD, most of the songs on here are outstanding.

We begin with You're Pretty Good Looking (For A Girl), a quick (only 1:49), upbeat, catchy song about trying to get that perfect girl. The lyrics (written, like most of their songs, by The White Stripes themselves) are silly but fun. "You're pretty good looking for a girl but your back is so broken, and this feelin's still gonna linger on until the year 2525 now."

Hello Operator is another strong track, with awesome guitar work from Jack, okay drumming from Meg, and a harmonica solo from John Szymanski). The lyrics are once again pretty strange, but the music is so good that you won't care and may even find yourself singing (actually, more like shouting) along with Jack. "Find a canary, a bird to bring my message home, carry my obituary, my coffin doesn't have a phone."

Little Bird has a bluesy style to it, and it features some lyrics which are kind of disturbing if you think about them. "I got a little bird, I'm gonna take her home, put her in a cage, and disconnect the phone." I just imagine a crazed stalker kidnapping a girl and locking her up in a cage. Maybe I'm insane, but anyway, this is a good song, although not one of my favourites.

Finally, the song that made me buy this CD, Apple Blossom. I have heard other people say that The White Stripes sound like The Beatles, and though I usually disagree (I think they sound more like Led Zeppelin), I can hear the Beatles similarities on this track. The music is a brilliant mix of acoustic guitar, pounding drums, and a piano (played by Jack). I really can't do this song justice simply by writing about it, so I will just say it is my favourite on De Stijl and you should listen to it as soon as possible.

I'm Bound To Pack It Up was the other half of the duo of songs that made me buy this album. Although not as good as "Apple Blossom," it is still an excellent track and another of my favourites. The mournful violin (played by Paul Henry Ossy) is a suitable addition to the song, and the lyrics are some of the group's best. "The bus is warm and softly lit, and a hundred people ride in it, I guess I'm just another running away."

Death Letter was written by bluesman Son House and is the longest track on the album, at 4:30. This is another song with a bluesy feel to it, and Jack does some masterful guitar work. The lyrics are sad, about a man finding out through a letter that the girl he loved is dead. "Got up this morning, believe the break of day, just hugging the pillows, where my baby used to lay."

Sister, Do You Know My Name? is a love song, which is slower than most of the other tracks on this album. The lyrics are sweet, about a boy who has an unrequited crush on a girl from school. "But every time I see you, I wonder why, I don't break a couple rules, so that you'll notice me."

Truth Doesn't Make A Noise is another amazing song from De Stijl. As Jack sings about sticking up for a girl who is mistreated by others, backed by beautiful guitars and piano, you can't help but be captivated by this track. "I feel it often, everytime I see her face, but the way you treat her, fills me with rage and I want to tear apart the place."

A Boy's Best Friend is too long at 4:22 and is not one of the best. The lyrics are about not fitting in and being alone, and they are quite good actually. The song as a whole though is pretty forgettable. "Empty rooms and a telephone that I will never use, never fear, I am all alone dear."

Let's Build A Home features a stupid spoken intro that really gets annoying after a few listens. The lyrics aren't anything to write home about ("C'mon! Alright! C'mon! Woo! Woo! Woo! Yeah!"), but the music is hard rocking and fun. Jumble, Jumble features some garbled sounds at the beginning, which is also annoying. The electric guitar sounds amazing, but it is the only thing that makes this song worthwhile.

Why Can't You Be Nicer To Me?, as the title suggests, is about wishing people would be nicer to you. Paul Henry Ossy returns to play the electic violin, an instrument I didn't even know existed. The album closes with Your Southern Can Is Mine, a humorous folk-style song with one of the coolest titles ever. It was written by Blind Willie McTell, to whom the album was dedicated (along with Gerrit Rietveld). "Now look here woman, don't get hot, I'm gettin me a brick outta my backyard."

Sure, De Stijl has its (minor) faults, but it is still a damn good album. It just might be my favourite of their albums, but I'm torn between this and Elephant. Anyway, it is an amazing album with a combination of rock, blues, folk, and pop. The White Stripes sound is raw and very reminiscent of classic rock, and De Stijl is an album that everyone should own.