I’ve always considered The Black Keys to be one of the most solid bands around. The band has released six studio albums in the past eight years, none of which are bad or even lacking very much. Since their humble garage/blues-rock beginnings, the band has gone through minor, yet noticeable phases. Rubber Factory was their harder, rock-fueled album. Magic Potion saw the duo turn toward the calmer side of things. The Danger Mouse-produced Attack and Release was an attempt at cleaning up their sound and making good, hard 21st century blues rock. On Brothers, The Black Keys pick up where they left off two years ago and they sound just as great.
Like most of their records, Brothers has one or two great radio singles while the rest is comprised of solid, well-written blues rock tracks. This time around, “Tighten Up” is the hit, which comes as no surprise considering it too was graced by Danger Mouse’s production touch. “Howlin’ For You” is another head-bobbing jam that wonderfully uses and abuses the idea of the riff. If you ever once doubted The Black Keys’ credibility, “Sinister Kid” and “The Go Getter” should turn you around. It’s like these guys were born to play the stuff.
The Black Keys have always unapologetically made their music just the way they want, and judging by their success, they don’t really need to do anything differently. On Brothers they don’t make any grand leaps or particularly challenge themselves to make something bigger and greater. But they remain so consistent that it doesn’t even matter. Although it would be nice to see them try out more projects like Blakroc and Drummer, it’s nice to just see them in their element. As long as they keep it solid, there’s no room for complaint.
The Black Keys – “Tighten Up” [MP3]
Liking this song here 🙂