Nearly 15 years ago, Jack White formed the Raconteurs with fellow guitarist/singer/songwriter Brendan Benson. They had just created “Steady As She Goes” in Benson’s Detroit attic, and decided to flesh out their lineup with bassist Jack Lawrence and drummer Patrick Keeler (both of the Greenhornes). The alt-rock pseudo-supergroup dropped two solid albums (2006’s Broken Boy Soldiers and 2008’s Consolers of the Lonely) in quick succession, and then fizzled to a halt in 2010. Until recently, White and Lawrence had been busy with their other band, the Dead Weather; Keeler’s been touring with the Afghan Whigs; and Benson and White have been focused on their respective solo careers. But now the Raconteurs are back on the road in support of their new studio album, Help Us Stranger, providing us all a much-needed opportunity to see them shred high-pitched, blues-injected alt-rock goodness right in our faces. While it’s hard to top early songs like “Level” and “Salute Your Solution” (and oh, how I’d love to see them perform the White Stripes track “Ball and Biscuit”), recent single “Sunday Driver” and the somber “Thoughts and Prayers” show the band’s still got it. by Jenni Moore