The Black Keys - Brothers

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Just four years back, the Black Keys released their fourth studio album, Magic Potion. A simple yet muscular blues-rock record, it featured nothing but a guitar, a drumset, and the grungy howl of Dan Auerbach's voice. Spanning eleven tracks, the duo showed off its ability to manipulate just a few menacing riffs and a few old blues progressions into an overarching style that sounded surprisingly fresh.

But then two years later, craziness ensued when the Keys enlisted R&B wizkid Danger Mouse to produce their next record. In 2008, the band unveiled Attack & Release, a musical rebirth that exhibited a new, soulful side to the band. There was a flute on "Same Old Thing." There were organs on multiple tracks. And with the help of DM, the Keys discovered the magic of psychedelia.

The title, Attack & Release, could not have fit the album any better. Magic Potion was all about grabbing a listener by the head and beating him to the ground with a guitar. A&R on the other hand, balanced its dirty guitar tricks (the attack) with a haze of studio effects and ornamentation (the release). While the album certainly seized and took hold of each listener, they Keys opted for mercy and restraint when they would have chosen brutality in the past.

Jump ahead two more years. After the moderately successful rap/rock side project, Blakroc, a solo album from Auerbach, and an LP from Patrick Carney's new band, Drummer , the duo has reconvened for their sixth album, entitled Brothers. Though Danger Mouse only produced the lead single, "Tighten Up," his influence and vision has seemingly transfixed the duo. Almost every track on Brothers journeys down that smooth, soulful road Danger Mouse introduced them to.


The opening track, "Everlasting Light," features Auerbach's falsetto humming along to a muted, chugging guitar part. Who knew the guy responsible for all the dirty crooning in the band's past had such technical control of his voice? Auerbach is hopeful, singing of "Shining just for you/ Loneliness is over/ Dark days are through." This optimism doesn't last long when the second track, "Next Girl," arrives. Auerbach's romance has seemingly turned sour, and now he gets to voice his regrets. "Oh my next girl/ Will be nothing like my ex-girl/ I made mistakes back then/ I'll never do it again."

With "Next Girl," the Black Keys return to the heartbreak and disappointment common in blues music. These themes permeate through almost every track on the record, making Brothers an album for failed relationships, lost loves, and the pains of true romance.

Another highlight is "Sinister Kid," a rhythmic shuffle that shows off Carney's ability to groove. The drumming on the album is simple as a whole, but Carney still does a great job solidifying the foundation that Auerbach works upon. I wouldn't go so far as to say that the Black Keys have fully abandoned the musical form of blues, but I will say that Brothers is a soul record almost, if not more than it is a blues record.

After listening to Brothers, it is alarming to see the scope of influence Danger Mouse had on the band. He didn't just tinker with their sound, but he was the catalyst that fostered creativity and pushed the band members to the limits of the their own talent. Both Auerbach and Carney are great musicians; it just took Danger Mouse to give them the extra push. And that push is evident through the new ways Auerbach uses his voice, the new arrangements the band utilizes, and the new emotions that transpire within the music.

When I saw the Black Keys perform in the summer of 2008, they performed almost solely old material largely because they didn't have the capacity to reproduce all of the studio instruments and decorations present on A&R. I'm interested to see how the band handles the new album in a live setting this summer when I see them at Bonnaroo. They'll either have to introduce new elements to their show or rely on their stage presence and energy to win fans over.

9/10

- Jonathan Elbaz