By: Maria Ciezak
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Back in Black; The Black Keys new album Brothers has surpassed any other album I have bought this year. Yes I have praised many magic music makers here on BTB, and thus far, this takes the gold. Don’t get me wrong, there is no scarcity of bluesy rock records out these days, and I didn’t think I needed to dart out to seize another one, until now. With two other classic albums over the last decade, the Black Keys have inaudibly exposed themselves to be an exceedingly consistent band, and the maturation of the Black Keys as record makers and performers has been both delicate and staggering. Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney, you’ve done it again.

The dirty beat and rickety falsetto of icebreaker Everlasting Light is so opposed to the typical that it almost seems intended to scare fans away. Bad news that Brothers is poles apart from the rest of The Black Keys library? No, no sir. Musicians must evolve, and this is an evolution. After all, when a key is inserted into the appropriate lock, the lock can be rotated. A disc packed with stripped down, raw, heavy riffs. Haven’t heard of these guys? Don’t fret, you can catch up now.

The entire album was produced by the duo, except one stand out track by Danger Mouse (who co-produced the boys album Attack and Release) titled Tighten Up; arguably the strongest track on the album, for Mouse is a musical whiz kid. The hip organ-sprinkled tempo-shifting beat will have you hooked (“Someone said true love was dead, but I’m bound to fall for you,”). Someone else also said true music was dead, but you’re bound to fall for The Black Keys.

Brothers is outstanding, consistently strong stuff, though this one feels a bit tamer, with more of an R&B influence, which could pull in fans from all directions. Upon listening to The Black Keys, it may be rough to grasp that they are purely a duo. Their character and musicianship yields a sound larger than some mega bands. Boys devoted to their sound, yet still carry on redefining themselves, exploring many shades of blues.

Unlock your normal mainstream taste, and grab a key.

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