Blunderbuss by Jack White

Blunderbuss, Jack White's first album under his own name, landed in April 2012 on his own Third Man Records, the year after the White Stripes split. White wrote nearly all of it, then recorded and produced it himself at Third Man Studio in Nashville, so every snarling guitar tone is exactly where he wanted it.

It rambles gloriously between blues rock, folk and country soul. "Love Interruption" came first, posted on White's website at the end of January; "Sixteen Saltines" bristles with garage-rock nerve; and "Freedom at 21" went out into the world on flexi discs tied to 1000 helium balloons. Critics liked it, some ranking it alongside his White Stripes work, and it topped the charts in five countries. It was up for Album of the Year and Best Rock Album at the 55th Grammys, and his cover of Little Willie John's "I'm Shakin'" drew a nomination of its own the following year.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.