The fact that the Black Keys are around in the music world and they continue to sell out stadiums and records with an old-school sound is appalling to me. It’s not because they’re bad or anything, but it’s because I don’t think a lot of people in this generation of music really appreciate the roots of where a lot of their favorite radio-played rock comes from. Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney are two people who love their roots and show it in their blues/garage-rock driven musical odysseys that bring you to a booming Nashville, or a rockin’ Chicago. And even though the rock is still here in it’s cleanest form because of producer Danger Mouse, the blues and the sadness and somberness of these songs are the elements that push it forward.
What drew me to the album besides the lead single, “Fever”, was the story behind the songwriting and Auerbach’s hard times in the past few years. Following the divorce with his wife and losing custody of his child, Carney even said that it was the saddest he’s ever seen his bandmate. But, sadness does fuel tempestuous and visceral songwriting that is heard throughout and that’s one of the strongest suits of the album. Never once do you feel as if the heartbroken songs are contrived or cliched, and instead you end up feeling for Dan more than anything. Especially on the track “10 Lovers” that says “Don’t leave us down and out again/Your little girl can’t comprehend/She had another dream that her mama’s gone/She’s all right, but you’re all wrong”.
From the start of the album we’re greeted to a heightened production value on “Weight of Love” where you’re brought this country acoustic and electric piano that just strums in like a passing cloud and this burst of electric guitar like a lightning strike in the distance, and then as soon as it gets going, the bass thumps with that familiar Gorillaz-like sound and Auerbach’s voice has a particular drab inflection with a hint of genuine soul and sadness that is accompanied by a higher-pitched Auerbach in the chorus. Actually, in a lot of these songs he decides to take the falsetto road. “Turn Blue”, “Waiting on Words”, “10 Lovers”, “In Time”, all take the high-pitched way to resemble a wail or a cry, which is effective in most of these cases. There are some times where the Black Keys actually sound like the Black Keys of lore with “Fever” and “It’s Up To You Now” which are cool tracks on their own, so for all of you purists out there who want to hear some blues-rock with more rock, there are those tracks and the closer, “Gotta Get Away”.
For the most part, I enjoyed the album. I loved the somber tone, I like the little hints of female voices in the production, the sound effects to make it like a 70’s psychedelic road trip was fantastic and when it was put in, it really worked in it’s favor. There are some songs that fell a bit under the GREAT spectrum for me, but they’re few. (Only like “In Time” and “It’s Up To You Now”) Other than that, the people who mistake the emotion for blandness and blame it on Brian Burton’s brilliant production, I’ve got no idea what their talking about. But I may be biased considering he produced a couple of my favorite albums… *cough* Demon Days *cough*
Final Verdict: While it’s not as sad or as punchy as something like Queens of the Stone Age’s “…Like Clockwork”, it’s still a great, dour album with moments that will make you look down with your eyes closed and say “sing it, brother, I feel you”. And that’s what an album is supposed to do, right? It’s supposed to make you feel something whether it be happy, sad, angry, joyful, or anything else. It’s a win for me.
Hey everyone! I'm Christopher Hopkins, friends call me Oatmeal, and I'm a music reviewer, graphic designer, gamer, and artist. Can't wait to start posting up on here!