Album Review: The Black Keys - El Camino

First and foremost, I need to thank my good friend and music companion, Jerry for introducing me to this talented duo when I landed on these shores five years ago. The Black Keys’ music is prevalent in my ear buds each week.  Jerry kindly burned me copies of both 2003’s, ‘Thickfreakness’ and 2006’s, ‘Magic Potion’ and I was immediately hooked, purchasing 2008’s, ‘Attack and Release’ instantly upon its release and of course the massive hit that was ‘Brothers’ in 2010 (which ultimately scooped three Grammy’s and sold over a million copies worldwide). Given I am also fond of rap and hip hop, the ‘Blakroc’ album and webisodes are something that I listen to and view frequently (a must listen if you like, The Black Keys and are partial to a bit of hip hop). Blakroc album review here.

When first album, ‘The Big Come Up’ was released in 2002, no one really envisaged that these two geeky white guys from Akron, Ohio with their drums and churlish guitar accompanied by blazing hollers of incoherent romantic frustrations would last a decade or reach the heights that they have…I mean, they cut their third album in an abandoned tire factory and named it ‘Rubber Factory’.

So why the sudden rise in popularity? There are a number of factors. They got their music running across a whole host of ads (Victoria's Secret, American Express and Subaru to name but a few), the talented, Danger Mouse came aboard and helped them figure things out and last year's, ‘Brothers’ had charm and a pop wit that elevated them to their peak with songs like, ‘Tighten Up’ and, ‘Next Girl’. Now we greet ‘El Camino’, which has been hailed in many circles as their best yet (must be hell of a good if that’s the case).

The album kicks off with the fun, ‘Lonely Boy’ which has an amazing video (see below if you haven’t already viewed it one hundred times). The opening guitar riff is quick and playful and the shrilling Hammond organ supplements the mood beautifully. It really sets the tone with a rousing rockabilly rumble on this opener. ‘Dead and Gone’ that follows is home to an almost a ‘Happy Days’ beat on the chorus. Some pretty strong lyrics by Auerbach on this one. Danger Mouse audibly influences with his dashes across ‘El Camino’. This track follows similar chords that underpinned much of his previous project, ‘Rome’.

The ‘Gold on the Ceiling’ riff harks back to glam rock legends, T-Rex. Love the sound to this one which is in the realm of, ‘The Who’ and ‘Led Zeppelin’. The use of keys and a kazoo like sound works well here. It sounds just filthy with it’s the bombastic beat and Auerbach’s howls - “They wannna get my gold on the ceiling, I aint got, just a matter of time, before you steal it, it’s all right, ain’t no God in my heart.” What follows in, ‘Little Black Submarines’ is one of my unexpected favourites from ‘El Camino’. The first half of this song is markedly different to any of The Black Keys previous work, whilst the second have is oh so very familiar. Exactly halfway through the track, a grinding, bluesy guitar riff rips in. It initially has me thinking of R.E.M’s ‘What’s the Frequency Kenneth’? The structure and sounds of the second half sound very, Jack White with a quality jam concluding the track. Carney and Auerbach are truly back in the, ‘Rubber Factory’ spirit here. Auerbach’s shredding on this track beats tops even, ‘Attack and Release’s’ most face melting jams.

The high octane sounds continue on, ‘Money Maker’ as the band really get in to their stride on this album. "I wanna buy some time, but don't have a dime," quips the chorus.  ‘Money Maker’ also sounds comfortingly familiar, with a riff that’s a dead ringer for, ‘The Hives’, ‘Main Offender’. In, ‘Run Right Back’ we’re back to the kind of tune we’ve come to expect of the Akron, Ohio duo and I’m fine with that as this sound is right down my street. It’s the bluesy rock sound that I love. Auerbach’s gravelly voice accompany the tunes perfectly…in the same manner to which, Neil Young and Bob Dylan’s do theirs. Perhaps a bit of a reach forming these kind of comparisons, but I do like the combination of Auerbach’s vocals against the raw blues backdrop.

 

'Sister’ is fraught with an 80’s pulse and sassy kazoo. It’s almost a Billy Jeanesque backbeat in which you feel for drummer, Carney's kit as he bludgeons it so hard. ‘Hell of a Season’ shows a streak of punk in which the combination of crashing cymbals and a lucid bass line sounds a little bit like, ‘Police and Thieves’ from, ‘The Clash’. ‘Stop Stop’ is fairly simplistic with its go-go beat, but an enjoyable track nonetheless. Similar could be said of, ‘’Nova Baby’ that follows. The closer, ‘Mind Eraser’ paints a common picture with the music embedded in curt melody and two-chord patterns. Auerbach's lyrics follow a familiar path - women are trouble, life is not easy and people will take what's yours

This album is the band's seventh studio album, but their first since 2010's massive hit, ‘Brothers’ which effectively elevated them to real rock stardom. A large amount of that rise to fame can be attributed to the hook-laden hit, ‘Tighten Up’ from that record. Incidentally, that was the only track on the album produced by, ‘Danger Mouse’. He produces each and every track on, ‘El Camino’…one plus one equals two. El Camino is a mere forty minutes short, but it’s a blistering forty minutes. With the producers’ featherweight, yet illuminating traces, vocalist and guitarist, Dan Auerbach and drummer, Patrick Carney have refined each track here to the lofty standards of, ‘Tighten Up’. From their basic beginnings recording in Carney’s basement to where they are now, El Camino is a fitting vehicle for their recent successes. Rating 8.5/10