Top Albums #1 - Black Keys – Brothers

I think the reason I love this album so much is because the Black Keys did it their way.

I read an interview this summer with the Keys’ Dan Auerbach where he felt he needed to defend the usage of the band’s songs in commercials. He argued that if radio stations weren’t playing them, why shouldn’t their music be heard on television instead? Well that approach seems to have worked out because after year of working their asses, the most underappreciated blues-rock band has finally cracked into mainstream music.

The thing that I respect most about the Black Keys’ rise to fame is that they did it by staying true to their music. Yes it’s evolved since the days of Rubber Factory and yes, Danger Mouse did give them a cleaner sound on Attack and Release. But their evolution still has all of its roots there for all to hear. Listen to Brothers and you can still hear the charm that made you fall in love with the Black Keys in the first place.

The only difference this time is that the pair were comfortable to take more risks. Six years ago would you ever think that you would hear Dan Auerbach sing in a falsetto? Odds are it didn’t even cross your mind, but he does just that on Everlasting Light and it works in a big way. It’s that sort of experimentation that takes you on a tour with this album.

The brothers also know when to keep it simple. Auerbach and Carney know the right moment to stick to what they're known for before switching it up completely. They use Black Mud as the perfect instrumental interlude to break up the first third of the album. What follows is a switch onto a moody (and kind of sexy) song like the Only One. That signature Auerbach falsetto makes another appearance and once again you wonder why it took this long to hear it. 

Brothers also manages to show an evolution that keeps the band relevant. Sure they could have kept going with their usual antics, but I’m afraid that would run the risk of getting stale after this many albums. Instead you they give us a song like Tighten Up which begins with whistling before heading into a blues standard. It’s the Keys’ ability to push blues-rock forward that continues to show off their talents.

The album’s name just speaks to how the two compliment each other. Every step of the way they react to one another like a pair of siblings. Patrick Carney’s drumming is flawless and as always, provides the perfect beat to every guitar lick. Dan Auerbach’s voice has some of the grit returned to the tracks after being noticeably absent from Attack and Release. As far as their respective talents as a band, the sheer level of musicianship found on Brothers was unmatched this year.

Having listened to these guys since their debut album, I have always had a deep respect for what they do. In fact, the very first gig review I ever wrote was a Keys concert in Nottingham, England. Back then I wrote that you didn’t have to lament the untimely deaths of blues rockers because these two young men from Ohio were picking up the slack. Now years later, my love for the Black Keys hasn’t waned. Instead it grows stronger with every song they put out.

Top Tracks: This is a whole album one folks. Listen to the whole thing and take solace in knowing that there are still bands that have a love of music this deep.