Is Jack White’s Frozen Charlotte His Best Solo Album? Album Review

By Kayla Harper

While Jack White’s claim to fame was the popularity and longevity of The White Stripes, singles like “Seven Nation Army”, “We’re Going To Be Friends” and “Icky Thump” becoming instantly recognizable classics, he has proven himself in the music industry beyond the rock duo.  White is the co-founder and owner of Third Man Records which he has used to promote many smaller artists, helping them become successful musicians, and among many other musical endeavours, such as The Raconteurs, he has also pursued a solo music career, releasing his most recent solo record, Frozen Charlotte, this year on July 10.

White’s previous solo record, No Name, was released in 2024 and features the same backing band, Dominic Davis (bass) and Patrick Keeler (drums), that plays on Frozen Charlotte -the first time in White’s solo career he has had the same band on two consecutive releases, which explains their similar vibes and is possibly why they happen to be two of my favourite Jack White records.

The initial singles, “G.O.D. and the Broken Ribs” and “Derecho Demonico” were released in early April, followed by “Dollar Bill” in June. Many critics have already declared Frozen Charlotte to be White’s strongest work yet, leaning into the classic garage rock sound The White Stripes had become known and loved for, with hints of White’s blues background.

The punchy lead single, “G.O.D. and the Broken Ribs”, utilizes biblical imagery to criticize the corruption of greed and repeating history or mistakes. The grunge guitar holds a rhythm throughout the track, accompanied by a steady drum and bass track and heightened with riveting licks in-between verses. As is common with much of White’s musical endeavours it feels as though the instrumental component is telling a story alongside the lyrics rather than just holding them in place.

Released alongside “G.O.D. and the Broken Ribs” was electrifying guitar solos held together by the main bluesy riff,  “Derecho Demonico” was first played during White’s 2025 tour in Kansas City, but has finally found it’s official home on Frozen Charlotte. The track carries on the angst from the previous track as White sings, “looks like you started something that you cannot finish.”  

The energy of the first two singles carries on throughout the rest of the record, a mix of grungey-distorted guitars blended with clean-toned blues-leaning riffs, garage drums and a building angst and frustration throughout the vocals. Lyrically criticizing society’s greed, capitalism, the falling out of relationships and miscommunications, “To find a needle in a haystack / Well, it’s plenty easy / You just burn down the haystack / And then you’ll find what you need / There ain’t no obstacles that are stronger than greed” (“All Alone Again”).

Biblical imagery continues to grow as a recurring motif throughout the record, further emphasizing the points being made,  “holy water dripping over the roses / it stood me up as I was starting to kneel” (“There’s Nobody There”) and ““And the blood is the wine, turned from the vine” (“Raising The Grain”).

Something that makes Frozen Charlotte so intriguing front-to-back, is the way the guitars truly seem to be part of one cohesive riff travelling through every song, morphing slightly to fit into each one, but not enough that it doesn’t feel connected throughout. Additionally, White’s tendency to switch up song-structure from song to song creates a sort of displacement in the listener, keeping them intrigued and unable to drift off.

Frozen Charlotte is a must-listen from the abundance of new releases this year and is one that will remain iconic many years later.