TRACK BY TRACK Fear Of The Dawn

The tones and techniques of Jack's eclectic new album

-  Amit Sharma

1 Taking Me Back

The big single, released back in October last year, is a near-perfect presentation of everything guitar players love about Jack White. The opening fanfare of harmonized feedback is brief and abrupt, exploding into the same idea played on the lower string, bouncing from A to B before moving down a step from G to A. It's a simple enough idea, though it's White's finishing touches that give it gravitas - from its behind-the-beat feel to the descending slides that follow on from the main punches. In the video, he is seen playing a blue sparkle custom Telecaster through a pedalboard that includes a Triplegraph the octave pedal he co-designed with Copper-Sound a few years ago - as well as other favorites like his Mantic Flex, a Bumble Buzz and a Game Changer Audio Plasma Coil.

2 Fear Of The Dawn

With its up-tempo swing and minor sensibilities, the main riff throwing an open E against minor sixth and perfect fifth intervals, the album's title track could very well be one of its heaviest. There's a meaty, almost synth-like fuzz on its rhythm parts and other extreme effects that venture beyond traditional guitar playing and into the world of sound design. Though only two minutes and two seconds in length, the track features a considerable amount of lead playing - White unleashing his inner Ritchie Blackmore for the grand finale before its jam band ending. Electrifying stuff!

3 The White Raven