The Black Keys - Brothers

The Black Keys
Brothers

It’s disappointing that Akron’s Black Keys still remain warily overshadowed by another two-piece guitar rock band with a color-themed moniker. The Black Keys have been far more innovative, adventurous and dynamic during their tenure than the White Stripes, save for the Stripe’s last couple albums when Jack White & Co. began to bleed out of their comfort zone. But it’s really not fair to compare the two. And with the Keys’ new effort, Brothers, that distance between the bands continues to grow. Brothers is the sound of a band renewed and finding the groove again after releasing something of a dismal effort, the Danger Mouse-produced Attack & Release that never seemed to find its grounding. There’s an elasticity to Brothers. The guitars sound vulnerable and sometimes utterly under-produced (“Sinister Kid”), yet Brothers retains enough veneer to stand several steps above gritty garage rock. The keyboards swoon and wane on “The Only One,” adding the kinds of dripping electronic flourishes that make bands like MGMT salivate. And even though these 15 songs are incredibly decipherable from one another, there’s the same bluesy heart pumping behind every track, giving a lengthy album a wondrous cohesion. It’s impossible to not compare a minimalistic band like the Black Keys to its contemporaries, but if the Keys keep releasing albums as remarkable as Brothers, there won’t be any more reason to compare. -Tim Webb

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