By the year 2010 The Black Keys had become a very different band than they had been when they had gotten started nearly 10 years prior. Where once they were a lo-fi rough cut heavy blues band, they were now going for a more radio friendly sound that would in turn bring more commercial success and introduce the band to a wider audience. All of this and more happened with their 2010 LP Brothers.
Brothers is where the more modern alternative psychedelic stuff that had been introduced on Attack & Release started to take more of the forefront of The Black Keys' music. There was still some bluesy rock n' roll in there, but this is where it was starting to take a backseat to the direction the band wanted to go. This time around, many of the songs are slowed down and given a bit more of a somber vibe than the band's previous music. It still has some of the best songs from The Black Keys though like "Everlasting Light", "Howlin' for You", "Tighten Up", etc.
"Everlasting Light" starts the album with a really nice steady groove in a similar vein to T. Rex's "Mambo Sun". This is one of the first times I have ever heard guitarist/vocalist Dan Auerbach sing with such a falsetto. He doesn't do too bad at it. It's one of those songs where it's more about losing yourself in the rhythm and chugging of the train that is "Everlasting Light" rather than chord progression and melody.
"Howlin' for You" is one of the Black Keys' biggest hits and to this day is still used in sports arenas across the world to get the fans riled up and full of energy. It's kind of plain to see why this is so due to the swinging and thundering nature of the song. The riff is ginormous and the vocal melody that goes along with it is easy to latch onto. It's definitely one of my favorites off the Brothers record because this still sounds fairly close to old Keys.
If you're a fan of the more recent stuff from The Black Keys or are the type who listens to their local alternative station a lot then this is the album you will want to start off with. While it is by no means my favorite Black Keys record by any stretch of the imagination, I would be lying if I said there weren't a handful of tunes from it that I absolutely love. To me it's a mixed bag, but your reaction might be different.
Brothers, by The Black Keys receives 3.25 out of 5 stars.
Track List
1. Everlasting Light
2. Next Girl
3. Tighten Up
4. Howlin' for You
5. She's Long Gone
6. Black Mud
7. The Only One
8. Too Afraid to Love You
9. Ten Cent Pistol
10. Sinister Kid
11. The Go Getter
12. I'm Not the One
13. Unknown Brother
14. Never Gonna Give You Up
15. These Days
Buy the album on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Brothers-Black-Keys/dp/B003L0HZ5O/ref=ice_ac_b_dpb?ie=UTF8&qid=1515102115&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Black+Keys+Brothers
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