Two records deep into their newly found sound, The Black Keys have once again created a dynamic album that proves their willingness as a band to change, but never lose sight of their authentic and original bluesy roots.
El Camino, like most Black Keys’ albums, is a song-after-song wall of soulful strength. Kicking off with one of the strongest songs on the album Lonely Boy, the Keys’ capitalize on everything their new sound offers.Retaining the power of a classic Black Keys’ guitar lick, the band also moves into the realm of radio-play, with a deeply catchy chorus that calls for more than your average rock band. They are completely poppy— and it works.
Other songs on the album, including the second track, Dead and Gone, take the Keys’ newly established musical persona to a place they have never gone before. Even though all these songs will never lose the soulful howl of Dan Auerbach, or the efficiency of Patrick Carney’s drumsticks, songs like Dead and Gone start moving over into an almost Diana Rossesque harmony, complete with obscure chimes and background vocals.
The Keys’ got their start in drummer Patrick Carney’s basement in Akron, Ohio, using nothing more than an 8-track to get down their novel sound, which included the rough shred of bluesy guitar riffs, deep distorted howling and a jangly drum kit to somehow, tie everything together.
In this phase of their musical career, which lasted from 2002 to 2006, the duo had found a steady following with their four increasingly popular blues albums, the most popular of which was Thickfreakness, an album that was so bold and loosely wound, it sounded like it could go off the rails at any second—but it didn’t.
By 2008 the band had a complete safe and secure fan-base. The Keys’, however, decided to do what every truly talented band should. They put down their 8-track and Muddy Waters’ records, and picked up Danger Mouse to help them re-create their new sound.
On The Black Key’s fifth album, Attack and Release, the band definitely found something totally different. It was absolutely the biggest risk the band ever took, dipping their bluesy flow into new songs, including a mash-up called Mr. Dibbs “Fight For Air”, which deems itself in the lyrics as “infinitely bizarre”.
Although it was a great triumph for the band, this was not the sound the Keys’ chose to reach the level of stardom they are at today. This came from their critically acclaimed 2010 album, Brothers.
This album took the grit of every Keys’ album before it, and transformed the band into a methodical arrangement of colorful percussion and subtle guitar work. The band no longer relied on the strength of a two-piece group and was able to move onto a sound that transcended their musical career, and finally found them a place on the radio, without dropping the soul in their sound.
Both Brothers and El Camino have ultimately put the band in a place of comfort and popularity.
I guess this means it won’t be long until the band challenges their sound once again.
