5/10

Since his departure from The White Stripes almost a decade ago, Jack White has become one of the true innovative driving forces of the music industry. His own Third Man Records are obsessive about using old technology to recreate a raw and authentic sound in everything they release, but now the frontman follows up his 2014 album 'Lazaretto' with a more experimental return in the form of 'Boarding House Reach'.

From the start, his third solo outing doesn't really feel like a Jack White record. The opener 'Connected By Love', with its distinct blend of gospel and electro influences, instantly sets us up for a breakaway release the likes of which we haven't heard from him before. Yet as the album plays, we see his experimental nature begin to shine through and almost unravel itself at the same time, as he delivers one individually constructed idea after another that never really gel together at all.

There are the odd moments of interest scattered throughout this release, but the majority of it seems to be this rather self-absorbed journey of eccentricity and ambition. None of which feels like a solid collection of work but instead can feel alienating at times.