Song Review: Jack White - “Battle Cry”
The new, standalone single from Jack White sounds less like a song and more like an ad.
Under normal circumstances, such a sacrilege would be unacceptable. But the instrumental “Battle Cry” is an ad at heart, so in this instance it’s OK.
Dropped on streaming services April 6, the short track begins and ends with ambient sounds. Between the whoops and hollers, it borrows musically from the Bay City Rollers (dig the “Saturday Night” beat!), Gary Glitter’s “Rock and Roll Part 2” (hey!) and AC/DC’s Angus Young.
"Battle Cry" represents White’s first new music since 2014 and will also be released as a one-sided, gold-vinyl 45 on Record Store Day, April 22.
The song serves a few purposes. It’ll be the walk-up music for Detroit Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler, who co-owns the baseball-bat company, Warstic, with White, and is the misnomered theme song for the promotional film “War Cry: The Battle of the Hawk and the Raven.” The film was made to publicize the Native Wellness Institute, which will receive a portion of all “Battle Cry” proceeds.
Grade card: Jack White - “Battle Cry” - C
