White Blood Cells - The White Stripes
White Blood Cells Image
Metascore

Universal acclaim - based on 16 Critics What's this?

User Score

Universal acclaim- based on 108 Ratings

  • Summary: The Detroit-based "brother-sister" (or, if you don't believe everything you read, ex husband and wife) indie duo of Jack (guitars) and Meg (drums) White continue their stripped-down sound on this, their third full-length.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 16
  2. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. This fine, fine album (quite possibly the finest of year) signals that the White Stripes have arrived. Hype or no hype, this is a band of significance...
  2. Their sonic ingenuity enhances even the most basic garage-rock templates. [Sep 2001, p.122]
  3. 80
    Few other performers have electrified country blues to such plaintive and non-parodic effect since the heyday of Led Zeppelin. [Sep 2001, p.100]
  4. Their worst album so far.... Too much of the album ("Expecting," "Aluminum," "I Can't Wait," "I Can Learn") wallows in an odd, crusty hard-rock haze.

See all 16 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 53 out of 61
  2. Negative: 5 out of 61
  1. White Blood Cells is like my new favorite garage rock album. It's catchy, the lyrics are great, the musicianship is astounding. Jack White's voice is amazing. "We're Going To Be Friends" is a catchy, fun song. "Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground" is a great starter. And "Aluminum" is a really good instrumental song. All In All, The Best White Stripes album. A Expand
  2. 8
    This was the record that introduced me to The White Stripes and man does it got some classics on it, "Dead Leaves..", breakthrough hit "Hotel Yorba" and everyones Indie dancefloor favourite "Fell in Love With A Girl" all to be found in the first 10 minutes of the record. It's a blistering start but the record doesn't quite manage to keep the tempo, quality levels that high throughout. They could have dropped 3 of the 16 tracks and turned this into a better album. I do think Elephant managed to sustain the quality throughout the record a bit better. Jack and Meg, one of Rocks most important partnerships over the last 15 years. Say what you like about Meg White, Jack's best records have been with her in the studio. Expand
  3. DennisT.
    7
    i bought White Blood Cells, hoping it will be worth my $23, and after listening to Elephant, which was pretty great, and comparing the two, i expected better out of my $23. -I mean was he dying or what? (Little Room) - Hotel Yorba was good just missing that rock element. - I like the kind of style they played in Aluminum, but jesus christ i dont want to mistake my cd player having problems with this dissapointment. - I think i smell a crappy song The rest of the songs were good or okay... After listening to it a second time, i came to appreciate the songs. I'm in luck because my CD really messes up sometimes, so i think i might get De Stijl for now. Expand
  4. LukeM
    3
    The music - guitar and drums only - wears thin very quickly. Though they aren't terrible to listen to, the White Stripes aren't particularly tuneful or memorable. Most of the songs just aren't fully realized. Expand

See all 61 User Reviews

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    Ranked: Albums Featuring Jack White (The White Stripes) Image
    Published: May 11, 2010
    "Sea of Cowards," the latest album from Jack White's side project The Dead Weather, is out this week. How does it compare to White's other albums, including output from The White Stripes and The Raconteurs?