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'Brothers'
2010, Nonesuch Records
If you're not yet acquainted with The Black Keys, you had better get off your rock ass. These two guys from Akron, Ohio, have released their sixth disc, 'Brothers'. And it is chock-full of tight, simple rock and blues songs that will leave you sweating. And crying.
Eleven of the 15 tracks are under four minutes. Concise. The other four top out around five. Precise. If you like the spare but bombastic style of The White Stripes, duo excellente, (and I do), then T.B.K. is waiting to smack you in the face, massage your cheeks, then bang on your head again. It's all about two nerdy-looking guys sounding like they've reached back into Muddy Waters and R.L. Burnside, grabbed some early Zeppelin and mixed in today's DIY technology to create some fine tuneage.
The opener, "Everlasting Light", has the T-Rex stomp all over it and Marc Bolan's falsetto provided by guitarist/vocalist Dan Auerbach. "Next Girl" is classic Keys with dirty guitar and drummer Patrick Carney banging as if he's trying to knock your house down with a baseball bat. Frail vocals on "She's Long Gone" with unforgiving drum beats and fuzz lead is one of my favorites. As is "Black Mud", perhaps in reference to a delicious relic by Muddy called "Electric Mud". ( Note : Waters hated the raunchy tone of his guitar on this '68 LP, but I dig it. So will you.) It psyches you back a few years and coulda shoulda been longer than a meager 2:09. "Ten Cent Pistol" is another T.B.K. sound that lulls you into their bleak and violent world with a way-back guitar lead, complimented by Auerbach's morose vocals. This should be in the next Tarantino film. This is followed by "Sinister Kid" with its sticky guitar that is just plain cool.
The only drawback that I see is the lyrics. I'm not much into meaningful words when I want to rock out, unless I'm in a teenage wasteland mood. Lyrics like 'Oh darling can't you see / I'm shining for you' or 'I'm just one wishing / that I was a pair' kind of rubs me wrong in a right way. I mean, these guys have always sung about lost love, no love, being lonely or forgotten or invisible. It's their thing. And remember. KISS. Keep It Simple Stupid. The blues and rock are simple. Exalt in all 15 songs. The sound is past, present and future. Raw and tarnished. Please, keep getting acquainted with The Black Keys. I won't say I told you so.
Thanks for the intro to the Black Keys.
ReplyDeleteI have never listened to them so I got off my "rock ass", clicked on iTunes, and then I clicked on the Purchase Album button. Not exactly like going to Positively Fourth Street, but they are a grocery store now.
First time through it and I am not blown away. Good but not great. I tend to listen to music with more guitar riffs and this album is more minimalist blues rock, lacking the riffs, and with no riffs so goes the edge. The emotion seemed so-so and the slower blues ballad type songs seemed to wander. The lyrics are weak, but lots of great music has simple lyrics.
I think the basics of the songs are there, but for me it needs the guitar to rise to the top and cary the song on to greatness. Have Kim Simmonds play these songs and they will take on a whole new life.
I don't see a 10/10 on this one but more of a 6/10. Maybe it will get better with time.
Craig