Jack White displays his guitar genius with the Raconteurs

There he is on the cover of Rolling Stone, with a dazed grin on his smooth, pale face, looking half shocked and half giddy. He's young enough to be the grandson of the two men he's flanking, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones.

He's Jack White, boy wonder of the White Stripes and the Raconteurs, and cover boy with the Stones because he guest-stars in their hit concert film, the Martin Scorsese-directed "Shine A Light," duetting with Jagger on "Loving Cup."

Inside the magazine, singer-guitarist White is not only interviewed along with Richards (Jagger gets a separate piece), he's also in the lead news story, dealing with the rush release of "Consolers of the Lonely," the sophomore CD by the Raconteurs, who play Monday at Neumo's.

The Raconteurs, which also includes gifted singer-guitarist-songwriter Brendan Benson and the masterful rhythm section from the Greenhornes, bassist Jack "LJ" Lawrence and drummer Patrick Keeler, finished the album the first week of March and released it in the last week, without the usual upfront promotion and marketing.

Some rock critics got their noses out of joint because they didn't get advance copies, but White was right in bypassing the old methods, because they don't work anymore. And it's paid off — "Consolers of the Lonely" debuts at No. 7 in Billboard this week.

White can rightly stand in the company of the Glimmer Twins (Jagger and Richards' name for themselves) because he's a musical genius, a self-taught natural with his own, varied take on songwriting and guitar playing.

His protean gifts are evident in "Consolers of the Lonely," which not only radically departs from the minimalist garage/punk of the White Stripes (his duo with ex-wife Meg White, currently on hiatus due to her nervous disorder) but also is all over the map stylistically, from folk to blues to hints of country. It's loud and bombastic but has some quiet moments, too.

Some of it is over-the-top, because White is so enthusiastic and wildly creative. The Raconteurs unleash a different animal in him, one crazy about guitars. The band is a showcase for his brilliant playing and for the more complex songs of his that don't fit the White Stripes' style.

The Raconteurs have to be seen live to be fully appreciated. White soars in guitar improv, and loses himself in the band experience. He tries not to stand out, letting Benson take the lead. But fans love it when White delivers a guitar solo or one of his cracked, quavering lead vocals.

Opening the show here is Birds of Avalon, a psychedelic rock band from North Carolina.

Patrick MacDonald: 206-464-2312

or pmacdonald@seattletimes.com