Jack White and Brendan Benson album

Jack White's friend and collaborator Brendan Benson has revealed that the pair have recorded an album together that has been compared to Nirvana's classic ‘Nevermind'.

The duo also plan to take the as-yet-untitled album, which could be out as early as this year, on the road.

The pair, who live just a few streets away from each other in Detroit, teamed up last summer to make the record in Benson's home studio. Benson admits he's ecstatic with the results but wants to get on with promoting his new solo album, ‘The Alternative To Love' first, while White is likely to be busy in the next few months putting the new White Stripes album together.

The follow-up to 2003's ‘Elephant' is expected this year, though no release date has yet been set.

Speaking exclusively to NME.COM in Detroit, Benson said of the collaboration: “It's a fucking brilliant record. It's really, really good. A few people who have heard it are really raving about it. Maybe it's even better than I thought. A guy the other day said that he had heard Nirvana's ‘Nevermind' four months before it came out and as he was listening to this record he said: ‘this feels just like that'. And that's how it feels for me.”

Benson added: “It's a cross between Deep Purple and Cat Stevens. That's a pretty good description. We've decided we need to kinda do this â€" it's kinda tricky. We don't want to put out something that's going to eclipse another record. We're thinking late this year or next year. I dunno how Jack figures The White Stripes into that. But we want to tour it as well.”

‘The Alternative To Love', Benson's third album and the follow-up to 2002's acclaimed ‘Lapalco', is released by V2 on March 14.

Benson is currently on a short UK tour, which reached London's 100 Club last night (February 23). The star played eight songs from the new album, including forthcoming single 'Spit It Out'.

The set was:

'Between Us'
'Good To Me'
'Spit It Out'
'Folk Singer'
'The Alternative To Love'
'Metarie'
'The Pledge'
'Feel Like Myself'
'Get It Together'
'What I'm Looking For'
'Cold Hands (Warm Heart)'
'Tiny Spark'
'Biggest Fan'
'You're Quiet'

The star is return to the UK to play larger shows in April.

The tour will call at:

Norwich Waterfront (April 18)
Northampton Roadmender (19)
Bristol Fleece (20)
Manchester University (21)
Birmingham Carling Academy 2 (25)
Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms (26)
London Camden Electric Ballroom (27)
Nottingham Rescue Rooms (28)
Leeds Cockpit (29)

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