The White Stripes

White Blood Cells (2001) A

Elephant (2003) B

Get Behind Me Satan (2005) B+

1. Hotel Yorba
2. Fell in Love with a Girl
3. Seven Nation Army
4. The Union Forever
5. St. James Infirmary Blues
6. My Doorbell

The über-underground albums The White Stripes and De Stijl produced one essential track, the former's stomp through the "St. James Infirmary Blues". Jack and Meg always used the blues more as a feeling than a sound or structure, though, and by the name they didn't invent garage rock with White Blood Cells, the songs were pure pop. The acoustic hoedown "Hotel Yorba", the fuzz-burst "Fell in Love with a Girl" spunk and the what-mean-you-plagiarism "The Union Forever" are just some of the highlights of that consistent collection. Meg is competent and conceptual; Jack is dexterous and nuts. Together they're the best argument for the amicable break-up since Sleater-Kinney.

White Blood Cells was the fulfillment of Jack's potential as a songwriter; his work since then has been honourable if less exuberant, with major label budgets making up some of the difference. This is most notable on "Seven Nation Army", where the production turns a big riff into a huge riff. In that case it doesn't matter that there's not much of a song behind it, but on much of Elephant this isn't so; this might explain why he overplays the Bacharach cover so badly. Get Behind Me Satan improves by bringing piano into the mix, which sharpens Jack's writing. "My Doorbell" in particular has a literary structure, with Jack's vocal getting ebulliently high without hysterics.