The Black Keys' Brothers: Brotherly Loving It!

The garage revival/blues duo, The Black Keys, have released their sixth album (second studio album) to the masses to a number 3 spot on the Billboard top 10. I've always enjoyed the Black Keys for their stripped down sound, featuring only guitar and drums on every album until 2008's Attack and Release, which debuted and topped out at 14. Admittedly, 2008 is when my former room mate, Jeremy, recommended the Black Keys to me. Blindly I gave Attack and Release a listen. To this day, I hold that album at the bottom of the releases from the band. It was several more months later before I gave them another chance (off my Ohio-raised cousin) and started listening to their earlier albums. This is when I realized their bluesier roots and came to appreciate them as a band.

All that being said, I've revisited Attack and Release, and have come to appreciate it as their first album utilizing someone new (DJ, Danger Mouse) as a producer. This may be my prejudices shining through, but I feel like music like the Black Keys' is best at their simplest, or at least when their roots are allowed to show the most. What I have really come to appreciate about Attack and Release is the additional instruments added (although I still feel as though some are extraneous).

With Brothers, I feel that the Black Keys have been allowed to add instruments to their regular milieu, while still staying true to their blues-y roots. This album sees a heavier R&B influence while also showing lead singer, Dan Auerbach's debut at singing in a falsetto (those of you who know me know that I love this).

The album's opener, Everlasting Light, is a revelation. I thoroughly enjoy Auerbach's falsetto here, and love the sweet melodies that ensue. Next Girl and Tighten Up seem much more like previous Black Keys' songs with a hint of that R&B influence that seems so completely infused in this album. Tighten Up, specifically has a wonderful tempo change about a minute from the end that almost makes it feel like a second movement for the song. I love that.

Howlin' for You starts off with a drum beat that hints at a sporting event anthem until it kicks into the vocals that bring us back to that lovelorn sense of longing which also carries into the next song, She's Long Gone. Black Mud provides us with a really strong blues instrumental rife with great organ and biting guitar.

Auerbach returns with his falsetto on The Only One with lyrics that are both sweet and haunting. Too Afraid to Love You sounds like a song off the last album to me. The harpsichord filters used in this song have a very Danger Mouse feel to it (you know he loves to sample atypical stuff). Ten Cent Pistol has a hook to it that sounds so old school, you can't help but tap your toe and bob your head.

Sinister Kid might be one of my favorites, if not my favorite track on the album. The agressive guitar and drums coupled with lyrics like: "That's me. That's me./ The boy with the broken halo./That's me. That's me./The Devil won't let me be". I don't care where you're from, that's good song writing. This killer beat is followed up shortly with a much more subdued track, The Go Getter. Which, while somewhat subdued compared to the rest of the album, still manages to bring no shortage of great lyrical imagery that seems to call to mind a band dealing with increasing fame.

I'm Not the One and Unknown Brother are not highlight tracks of the album; but continue the good use of other instruments and show that the Black Keys have readily accepted advice and help on their sound.

Dan Auerbach returns with his falsetto to cover Jerry Butler's Never Gonna Give You Up. The Keys manage to put their own spin on the song while still staying true to the original that keeps its heartbreaking nature.

The album closes with These Days. One of two songs that top over five minutes (the songs on the album average around 3:30 which is a lot considering that there are 15 tracks on this album). It's a perfect closer for the album that exemplifies the Keys' ability to stay true to their style while developing a fuller sound. The lyrics are a little sad and somewhat sentimental; but that's okay on an album like this.

Brothers seems to be the album I've been waiting to hear from the Black Keys since their inception (or when I became aware of them at least). It keeps their garage blues while adding a fuller sound that comes with a more professionally produced album. One can easily see that Auerbach and Carney have learned much from Attack and Release, Blakroc, and Keep it Hid. They have provided us with an album steeped in rhythm and blues with a tinge of the garage rock that made me come to love them. I would not be surprised if this bad boy makes my top 5 lists at the end of the year.
A+

The Dead Weather: Alive and Kicking (Ass)

Now this bad boy was released at the beginning of last month; and God bless NPR for allowing people to listen to it two weeks in advance. I've been rocking this sumbitch for over a month now and I love it. When I first heard about this project, I lost my mind. Jack White and Alison Mossheart? "No-brainer," I thought. I had misgivings when I found out that Jack was playing drums, but as stated in my blog about ACLMF, Day 3, it turns out I had nothing to worry about. The first album, Horehound, released not even a year ago was a smash hit and made Billboard's top 10 with face-melters like Hang You from the Heavens and Bone House. The Dead Weather delivered dark garage rock with teeth.

The Dead Weather return with their sophomore album, Sea of Cowards, that makes it to Billboard's Top 5, giving them 2 albums to make the Top 10 in less than a year. While keeping the dark tone Dead Weather stray the path from their blues-heavy garage rock in lieu of something slightly more experimental. Another slight departure from the first album is that Jack shares more vocal responsibility on this album. That isn't to say that Alison Mossheart isn't the star (vocally speaking); because she still belts them out.

The album opens with Blue Blood Blues which has Jack and Alison sharing lead vocals. The guitar's heavy here, and it's somewhat reminiscent of Bone House. The vocals themselves seem to pull from influences outside of the blues arena. I'm 80% sure they played this at ACLMF, because I distinctly remember Jack leaving the drums to share rhythmic vocals with Mossheart. The piano and backing vocals come in lightly over the top and serve almost as a palate cleanser.

Hustle and Cuss is the next song, which highlights Mossheart's vocals and utilizes an organ to provide some Doors-y sound. This like the previous song is pretty percussive in the vocal styling.

The band utilizes synth on the provocative track, The Difference Between Us. The somewhat ambiguous lyrics make the song sweet, violent, and sexy all at once. It doesn't hurt that Alison Mossheart exudes sexuality in a very primal way.

I'm Mad is a piece that seems stuck somewhere between the two albums. It's loud, angry (duh) and a decent song overall but definitely falls by the wayside when sandwiched between two such good songs.

Die by the Drop is the album's first single. Again, Mossheart and White share vocals in a marriage made in Rock Heaven. I find the use of piano in this piece a fine addition to the sound and fits in perfectly with the rest of the band. I also am really digging the lyrics: "Some people die just a little./Sometimes you die by the drop./Some people die in the middle./I live just fine on the top".

The next track, I Can't Hear You, is another one of the middling tracks on the album that seems to be a good transition piece between the two albums. The organ returns for Gasoline and takes me back to '60s rock in a way that makes me nostalgic. Mossheart's grating vocals go well with the almost aggressively percussive organ that provides a great sort of auditory "texture". No Horse is yet another well done transitional blues-y sounding piece that goes well in the middle. Looking at the Invisible Man is a great song if for nothing else than it uses a vocal distortion I have only heard used in P-Funk songs. Jawbreaker is another song suitable to bridge the distance between Horehound and this album.

The closer, Old Mary, is a sacrilicious, tongue-in-cheek piece that takes the Hail Mary as its basis. It's a little depressing and but goes so well with the haunting piano and harmonizing of Jack White and Alison Mossheart. Great Closer.

The album is strong all the way through with really great highlights. The Dead Weather continue to produce great garage rock while incorporating newer influences. They've kept their teeth, which is a must for me; but managed to not be as dark this time around, which I don't mind necessarily. I've got tickets to see their DC show and Baltimore show, and I'm looking forward to both even if I'm not looking forward to driving to Baltimore in the middle of the week.
A