In rock 'n' roll, the collaborative spirit can be an inconstant muse. When established artists get together to create new material, there's much to contend with — rock star egos, for instance.
The path to a successful collaboration is a balance beam. Falling to one side — relying too heavily on your trademark sounds and styles — may prompt listeners to ask, "Why bother?" Fall to the other side, forsaking the influence of your past output, and artists risk alienating their fans.
On its debut album, "Broken Boy Soldiers," rock supergroup The Raconteurs walks that beam confidently, if not for the occasional stumble.
Up front, The Raconteurs are all Detroit muscle with the White Stripes' Jack White and power popper Brendan Benson splitting vocal and songwriting duties. Even with Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler of Cincinnati garage rockers The Greenhornes serving as a capable rhythm section, "Broken Boy Soldiers" is most definitely the Jack and Brendan show.
"Broken Boy Soldiers" really delivers when the Motor City wonder twins have their powers activated at equal strength. On the lead-off track, "Steady, As She Goes," the staccato guitar strut of the verses leaps into a perfect middle eight. Guitar-slinging White relinquishes control just long enough for Benson's pop sensibilities to bring the song home.
Yet, "Steady, As She Goes" is immediately followed by "Hands," a Benson-helmed number that wouldn't have felt out of place on his 2005 album, "The Alternative to Love." It's certainly not a bad song; it's just a shame that the overlap in the White-Benson Venn diagram is ignored so early on.
Their dynamic shines elsewhere, as on the slow-burning ballad "Together" and the head-knocking "Store Bought Bones."
With its slim running length of 33 minutes, there isn't much opportunity on "Broken Boy Soldiers" for White to exercise his six-string skills.
Collaboration both aids and hinders "Broken Boy Soldiers." The Raconteurs have made a decent rock album, but it may leave listeners wishing for a finer mix of individual talents.
