★★★★☆

The gritty vocals of The Strokes meet New Orleans blues in Benjamin Booker’s self-titled debut album, which, since Booker has performed his single “Violent Shiver” on “Late Night with David Letterman” in April, has received an extensive positive critical reaction, and for good reason.

This is the type of album that takes the listener on an unexpected journey through distinctive American music styles. From the more rock-influenced, head-banger “Violent Shiver” to the mellow and extremely soulful “Slow Coming,” Booker clearly makes the most of his debut album by showing off his considerable musical skill and variety.

Whatever the style, Booker’s raw voice gives any of the songs an addictive quality, and his confident ease with rhythm is irresistible, solidifying his blues influence even further. It’s no wonder that Booker has received former White Stripes frontman Jack White’s seal of approval — Booker demonstrates a similar desire to integrate his vocals with the occasionally aggressive guitar strumming and drum thumping. While this may cause uneasiness for those who prefer a cleaner, more perfectly produced record sound, it is ideal for those who love songs that directly translate the sound and experience of hearing live music.

Listening to “I Thought I Heard You Screaming,” you’d imagine you were hearing the voice of some aged, chain-smoking blues artist rather than a young New Orleans-based man. It is one of the few songs that intensely slows down its pace, stretching poetic lyrics into a three-minute record that lulls you into a sense of comfort before the album confronts you with the next rockabilly-meets-punk single, “Old Hearts.”

In many of the songs, the urgency of Booker’s singing makes it impossible not to get caught up in the energy of the track. Despite opening with a more dragged out guitar riff, the song “Always Waiting” quickly builds into a fast-paced rhythm. Booker’s voice, coming in with a chant of “All is broaching, all is broaching … all is searching, all is searching” pulls slightly against this pace in an intriguing and powerful way. It’s the kind of song that demands the listener gets up and starts jumping around his or her room, no matter his or her mood.

Despite the many successful singles on the album, the standout one undoubtedly has to be “Violent Shiver.” Booker boldly opens his album with a powerful guitar riff and a rocker set of lyrics that integrate perfectly with the instrumentals. There is something beautifully rebellious in the way his grainy voice confidently chants, “We found a way,” during a song that prides itself in the chaotic sounds it pounds out.

To get the best experience out of the album, it’s best listened to the entire way through. In order to understand the skill behind the rhythm, styles and incredibly well-written lyrics, it is essential to listen to how Booker has organized the tracks, throwing in slower blues-inspired musings to break up the gritty and thumping rock-inspired pieces.

The complexity of the album doesn’t end there. Each song is full of contradictory influences that pay off with an idiosyncratic sound. “Violent Shiver” isn’t the only track that embraces youthful rebellion as Booker proudly declares “Where I’m going, I never know” — the album also features a song titled “Kids Never Grow Older,” a song that opens with deceptively mellow and quiet vocals before exploding into a defiant commotion of sound. This combination of energetic, unruly lyrics and more old school music influences was a risky move on Booker’s part, but it pays off.

Booker has created a debut album that is exciting, unique in sound and genre, and well worth a listen.