A little over two years after the release of their award-winning album, “El Camino,” the Black Keys have released “Turn Blue.” Members Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney collaborated with Danger Mouse to develop this new album, which saw a return to the heavy blues we saw in the 2010 album “Brothers.”
The album opens with “Weight of Love,” the Black Keys’ longest song at almost seven minutes. This powerful track hints at the grandeur of what is to come in the album and maintains an alluring fluidity, shifting its shape more than a few times. As the album continues, each song is tightly bound together with a similar meaning hidden behind the lyrics; the dangers of romance.
The first party-worthy song can be found in “Fever.” This upbeat track puts a little spark in the album, including a strong bass line that is strutting its stuff. Although the climax is arguably found in this song, the fourth track of an eleven-track album, the strength of it leads to stronger tracks immediately following before drifting into slower, more bluesy tunes that take us to the end.
Finishing “Turn Blue” is the compelling finisher “Gotta Get Away.” Although the album starts out big, this song ends it even bigger. With a strong chorus and an enticing garage-band rock feeling, the last track is definitely the best one.
“Turn Blue” is an exciting addition to the Black Keys’ career; Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney seem to really find their own, slipping into a groove that could promise the best years just ahead of them.
Grade: A
