Brendan Benson And His Shiny New Supergroup

File under: Skeptical

I'd say four years ago or so I came across this guy named Brendan Benson via the old Mp3.com site. I did a little research and quickly fell for the Jason Falkner disciple and his record, Lapalco, with its brand of well-polished, harmony-drenched pop goodness. I then picked up his earlier work, One Mississippi, and was equally impressed. When I heard that he was releasing a new album last year I couldn't wait to buy it the day it hit the shelves. Unfortunately, The Alternative to Love turned out to be a sort of paint-by-the-numbers dud of a record. I was disappointed as I really felt this guy was poised for greatness (or at least above-averageness). Now, it appears as though his only hope for getting back on track rests in the hands of his old Detroit Rock City pal Jack White (is he even cool anymore?). Together with the rhythm section of The Greenhornes they have formed The Raconteurs. Check out their new video for "Steady, As She Goes" (directed by Jim Jarmusch) and let me know what you think. The video is kind of cool, but I'm not really sold on the song after my first couple of listens.

The Raconteurs release their debut album, Broken Boy Soldiers through Third Man/V2 Records on May 16th.