It would absolutely not be true to say that Jack White is single-handedly keeping rock guitar alive. But every time he’s in the national spotlight, like he is right now, it’s a comforting reminder that rock guitar is never going away.
This past weekend, Jack White appeared on Saturday Night Live as the musical guest for the sixth time, and joined host Jack Black for an opening monologue that featured a performance of the White Stripes classic, “Seven Nation Army.” White followed it up by playing two new songs, both of which are classic Jack White in their own way.
“Derecho Demonico” was the first song of the night, and despite the booming electric guitars and everything else, it’s a standard 12-bar blues format that uses the “AAB” verse format. It would certainly sound great on just an acoustic guitar, and it will probably also hit home for folks in Iowa, who have gotten used to hearing the word “derecho” at least once a year.
The second song of the night was “G.O.D. And The Broken Ribs,” and if you’re a fan of weird Jack White, you were in heaven. The song’s lyrics are a reference to Adam and Eve, but as the song progresses, it gets harder to make that connection. Then it gets existential, and then it loops back around and appears to be about Adam and Eve again. It’s also heavy and noisy in the best possible way, and you’ll probably be asking yourself “Is that even a guitar?” at least once.
You’ll soon be hearing both “G.O.D. And The Broken Ribs” and “Derecho Demonico” on Studio One, and both songs are available for purchase on Bandcamp. Jack White hasn’t announced a new album yet, but you can be assured that we’ll be shouting it from the rooftops when he does.
