Consoling Indeed

Yes, I am comforted. I had feared, the first album of the Raconteurs would remain the only one.
BROKEN BOY SOLDIERS was for me the best album of 2006. The dense soundscapes that create the illusion of a past, which it has so actually not the case, and this constant balancing on the edge of madness have blown me formally.
That's why I jumped eagerly on Consolers OF THE LONELY, with great expectations. The have not been met at 100%, but almost. The recording technology is again brilliant (quotation: "Double Track this"), even if the sounds are not quite as cruel as the previous album. Even the musical reinvention of the past is again succeeded in good songwriting without question. And the songs grow with repeated listening.
If the songs 5-9 would not be on the album, I would give 5 stars. But diving in the middle part of the album suddenly horn arrangements and other mystical style elements that do not fit in for me. This is a star deduction.
Also I give to the other reviewers right who say Jack White dominates this album more than the first. What began as a White Stripes fan does not disturb me, in fact the reverse.

Even a brief overview of the songs:
1. Consoler of the Lonely: A firecracker. Reminds me of the old White Stripes Hello Operator number. If the live audience this summer still a lot of joy.
2. Salute Your Solution: Good choice for the first single. Rock'n'Roll, Baby! The video is the way also worth seeing.
3. You Do not Understand Me: Quiet, with a beautiful piano.
4. Old Enough: With Country violins, very traditional sound, catchy.
5. The Switch And The Spur: Yes, and from here it gets strange. Bombastic piano and -Trompete mixed with Neil Young's "I've been through the desert on a horse with no name ...". I do not verstehs. But it's the only song to which it fragments are at least the lyrics in the booklet.
6. Hold Up: Cool Hammond organ, but otherwise nothing special.
7. Top Yourself: Reminds all away to Nirvana's Lake Of Fire. Bit boring.
8. Many Shades of Black: And again blowers. With the song I can not do anything.
9. Five on the Five: Thumbs up for the touch of madness. Thumbs down for the cowbells.
10. Attention: Sounds like a White Stripes song with bass and very 80s lastigem Keyboard.
11. Pull This Blanket Off: Here Jack and Brendan bop uninhibited with the typical Weltschmerz, which adjusts between the ninth and tenth beer, and a piano that sounds like Christina Aguilera stole. But still nice.
12. Rich Kid Blues: Super number. Very Stairway to Heaven.
13. These Stones Will Shout: Here klingts beginning again very traditionally American. Beautiful two-part chorus. I find myself constantly in mind that I am whistling toward the front.
14. Carolina Drama: In the end, again a reminder that The Raconteurs means: the storyteller. A blend of Western-ballad (Tom Dooley), Hotel California and Boat on the River.

Conclusion: Strong start, weak midsection, happy ending.