Average Metacritic score is 80 (39 reviews):

The White Stripes
Icky Thump (Warner Bros)
US Release Date: June 19, 2007
Ranking: 91 (A-)

http://www.avclub.com/content/music/the_white_stripes aka onion

Reviewed by Noel Murray
June 19th, 2007


We now return you to your regularly scheduled White Stripes. After the stylistic detour of Get Behind Me Satan—a good record, if a bit too stubbornly one-note—Jack and Meg White return to form on Icky Thump, an album of crushing riffs and winking bad-boy patter, steeped in blues, country, and the arena-filling mythology of Led Zeppelin. The key to The White Stripes has always been Jack White's persona: part hypester put-on, part sincere shilling for the ecstatic, liberating effect of roots music. Icky Thump adds some wheedling psychedelic organ on the title track, and mystical-sounding bagpipes on the mini-suite "Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn"/"St Andrew (The Battle Is In The Air)," but the album's real gimmick is Jack White, revisiting the playful goof familiar to fans of White Stripes songs like "Astro" and "You're Pretty Good Looking (For A Girl)."

There's a lot more chatter on Icky Thump, from Meg White's haunted monologue on "St. Andrew" to Jack's resigned rant on "Little Cream Soda" to the duo's comic give-and-take on the junkman sketch "Rag And Bone." And that swagger extends to the music, with its spontaneous tempo shifts and loud-quiet dynamics, demonstrating The White Stripes' interest in the transient qualities of performance. The heart of this album is in the little fillips at the end of a guitar solo, and Jack White's carnival-barker growl.

The band's in-the-moment approach doesn't always pan out: Icky Thump is marred by a couple of mid-song instrumental vamps that go nowhere, and by a succession of dirge-y songs toward the end. But it's hard not to be just a little in love with an album that includes songs as entertaining as the flamenco-core workout "Conquest" and the cheerfully pissy Faces-style shuffle "Effect And Cause." If nothing else, this record is fun.

A.V. Club Rating: A-

Actually listened to this on the way home from work, and it still isn't working for me. My least favorite release of theirs, by far.

haven't heard this of yet, pretty much own and like to love everything they have done up until now. don't think i need to hear any new The White Stripes at this moment in time, weird.

I doubt this will make my top 20, but I think this album rocks.

I forgot about this entirely.

Big fan. Probable Top 10.

Me too, I think it's a great album. I'm getting to the point where I'll listen to anything Jack White is involved in now.

Yeah, this made me like The White Stripes again. It's still in my top 20, which is pretty surprising to me. I could barely make it through their last one.

I need to listen to this more...And I feel like I've been saying that since it came out.

Love White Stripes, so I like this one. I'd not put it high on their list, but I still enjoy a mediocre White Stripes album more than the vast majority of what comes out.

I think this is a great album. To me it just sounds bigger and eclectic. Good to know that Jack White's creative well doesn't sound like it's close to dry. He's slowly building an arsenal of monster riffs.

His guitar sound is so fucking razor sharp. How anyone who likes rock n roll can deny "Icky Thump" the song is beyond me. After the verse when he starts hitting the power chords................makes me immediately start tuning up the air guitar.

you know, i bought this record, listened to it once and the only thing i remember about it is i didn't like the title track.

this is probably their most rocking album but least coherent in executing any fun melody, probably a result of adding ingredients to their pastry dish (per se).

i still love those first 3 tracks, but i turn it off once conquest hits. awful.

They remain a great "shuffle" band for me, but I can't handle a whole album.

I love this album. Probably top 10 for me.

Prett much ditto. Maybe top 15.

I don't listen to them often, but whenever I happen to put something on it generally turns into a White Stripes day.

I felt this way about until I heard the original. It's still silly, but it's acceptable.

i really like it, but its slipping down my list over time

I have the same problem. The album just dies there and it can't recover. I need to edit out of ipod so I can enjoy the rest of the album.

The title track is awesome.

this album sucks. i haven't listened to it in months, i think i even deleted it. the white stripes have that problem a lot where they start off an album really strong and then it declines bad. if the first four tracks of white blood cells were an ep it would be the best thing released in the 2000s as far as quality per minute

This is one of my least favorite record by them.

I plan to give it a few more listens.
Maybe i'm missing something.

i have been really wanting to hear conquest lately though.

I love Conquest.

and Icky Thump is one of the best singles/videos of the year

the album should make the cut