Last year, Brothers was released and it shot the Black Keys into mainstream fame. If you haven’t heard of them by now, you must seriously be living underneath a rock. Huge hits like “Tighten Up” and “Next Girl” found themselves at the top of the charts, the endorsement deals rolled in, and their tour dates sold out in minutes. Brothers earned the Akron, Ohio duo theGrammy for Best Alternative Music Album and it makes you wonder how they could possibly top an album like that. This year is coming to an end but the Black Keys are shaking things up with the release of their seventh album, El Camino. The album drops tomorrow and even though it’s a latecomer, I’m certain that it’ll find its way onto many “Top Albums of 2011″ lists.
Ever since the release of their debut, The Big Come Up, in 2002, the Black Keys have been consistently pumping out stellar albums filled with Dan Auerbach‘s howling vocals and bad-ass guitars, and Patrick Carney‘s punchy drums. It’s as if each album progressively gets more and more catchy. Working with Danger Mouse again (he produced the successful single, “Tighten Up”), I think it’s pretty obvious that El Camino will produce a ton of hit singles.
The album opens with the lead single, “Lonely Boy,” which premiered back in October, and the song sets the bar for what’s to follow. Of course there’s the typical bluesy-rock feel of any Black Keys song, add in that driving guitar riff and it’ll have you shimmying in no time like the man in the video that went viral. ”Little Black Submarines” has a mellowed start, reminiscent of old blues ballads, but transforms itself into a Zeppelin-worthy tune halfway through. That point where everything picks up is sheer perfection. In my opinion, one of the best tracks on El Camino is “Nova Baby.” Even though it’s a bitter song about hopeless love, it’s still uplifting and finds itself as a highlight of the second half of the album.
El Camino is eleven tracks of hook-filled, lighthearted, blues-rock goodness that’ll make you get up from your seat and shake what your mama gave you. This Black Keys album is one that should not be missed. It still has the duo’s essence from their early albums, but it’s also fresh and shows growth without losing their appeal.
Get it from Amazon here.
No comments yet, be the first!