From the minute that Icky Thump starts, it is clear that this is a White Stripes album. The high energy and blues inspired garage rock just explodes, and you know that Jack White had a hand in this. With July 14, 2007 marking the 10th anniversary of the creation of the band, Icky Thump showcases the growth and innovative nature of The White Stripes.

In their sixth studio album, The White Stripes fuse solid drumming and songs with hypnotic guitar riffs. The album starts off strong with their title song, "Icky Thump." Meg keeps the drums in the style of "Seven Nation Army," while Jack showcases his haunting voice with meaningful lyrics. For "Icky Thump" Jack steps outside of his songwriting comfort zone and takes a stab at writing about politics with lyrics such as "White Americans, what? / Nothing better to do? / Why don't you kick yourself out / You're an immigrant, too." While Jack does branch out with his topics, Icky Thump also has its share of personal relationship songs for you to relate to. "I'm Slowly Turning Into You," "A Martyr For My Love For You," and "You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You're Told)" all share the essential White Stripes element of heartache and the biting sincerity of Jack's words.

Icky Thump is a satisfying album because while it has its thoughtful and intense songs, it also has its playful and fun side. "Rag & Bone" has an upbeat spirit and faster tempo. Jack and Meg seem to be having fun riffing off each other naming different types of houses. The only cover song on Icky Thump, "Conquest," continues to reveal the playful side of Jack White. "Conquest" is a unique song because of its Spanish horn flares with heavy distortion of guitar. With vocals all over the place, "Conquest" jumps out and takes hold of you.

The greatest track on the 48-minute album is "Little Cream Soda" because it is one of the essential White Stripes tracks. While it may fly under the radar of marketable singles, "Little Cream Soda" transcends any specific sound and could have been on any one of the earlier White Stripes albums and fit perfectly. The heavily distorted song features Jack wailing away on the guitar and some of Meg's best drumming on the album. With fantastic songs like "Little Cream Soda" and a perfect and simple closing track like "Effect & Cause," it is clear that The White Stripes are just incapable of making a bad album!