As far as Grammy winners go, The Black Keys might just be the most unsuspecting. For 2010’s Brothers, the pair delivered an unadorned collection of blues rock that captured a band at the height of their game. El Camino may not be the follow-up opus, or even the adventurous curve ball that many suspected would follow, but no matter. In place of Brothers‘ insistent and slow-building guitars, El Camino is chock-full of in-your-face riffs and showy little solos. In fact, the whole thing feels slightly tongue-in-cheek, opening with a line like “I’m so above you” and closing with a refrain of “don’t let it be over.” But therein lies the joy of The Black Keys. Even at their showiest, or most glammed up, these two are in the business of having fun, and on El Camino, you can hear it. “Gold on the Ceiling” is a hopping bar rock number with an insistent and atonal organ line; “Run Right Back,” a sexed-up rocker that calls to mind early Queens of the Stone Age. That you can almost hear Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney winking at each other is perhaps the reason El Camino works, and no doubt the reason these two remain rock’s most unwitting masterminds.
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Comments
They are a great band! Most importantly they are two very down to earth people. When I toured with them as a rigger/lighting guy I was so impressed with their showmanship. Every night they put all their energy into it. They never asked for anything and just played rock solid music. Then in the afternoon waiting around for sound check we would go skateboarding or go explore the city we were in. It was like hanging out with two old friends and not rock stars. Hope I will do it again! The first time were good times!
miked442 (anonymous profile)
December 19, 2011 at 11:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)