With Jack White confirmed for several of the summer’s major festivals, including headlining slots at Bonnaroo and Governors Ball, it seemed certain the enigmatic multiinstrumentalist had a thing or two up his sleeve. Today, White announced Lazaretto, the follow-up to his excellent 2012 debut album, Blunderbuss. And while it’s rather audacious to share news of this nature on April Fools’ Day, the first song off the album, the frenzied, aggressive “High Ball Stepper” is no joke.
A blistering, bluesy sonic collage, the instrumental track weaves together the fundamentals of White’s signature sound: explosive guitar riffs, reverb-heavy analog production, punchy percussion, and sporadic piano arrangements—and this time around, it all culminates in a heavy, thrashing outro. If “High Ball Stepper” says anything of the overall project, prepare to have it blow your speakers out—as the visuals seem to warn.
Lazaretto arrives June 10.
