ashley monroe

The Raconteurs have been on a tear this year after the release of their latest album, Consoler Of The Lonely, playing sold out theaters and crowded festival sets across the world. Apparently, in between all of that constant touring, they also had time to have a little fun for themselves. Jack White has always dabbled with his country influences, even taking the ultimate step into the genre by producing one of country legend Loretta Lynn's recent albums. The White Stripes never had much of a twang to their work, but The Raconteurs have always worked a country flair into their music. It wasn't until Consoler that they truly adapted to the western sound with the addition of a banjo and a fiddle to many of the songs. Now, with the help of bluegrass troubadour Ricky Skaggs and newcomer Ashley Monroe, they have truly crossed the genre barrier by making their "Old Enough" into a string-heavy, front-porch burner. As with the original video for this song, this video is also directed by up-and-coming photographer/videographer Autumn De Wilde.

I really dig it, and they all seem to be having a blast. What do you all think? Should they continue to explore their other influences, or just stick to making rock songs?