With the release of their sixth studio album “Brothers,” The Black Keys introduced a genre-blending sound to the mainstream, mixing rock, blues and at times pop to create hits like their singles “Tighten Up” and “Howlin’ For You.”
“El Camino,” The Black Keys’ seventh full-length album, offers a continuation of this genre-blending sound; only this time with a heavier focus on early rock and roll-inspired electric guitar riffs and an upbeat tempo, as well as less of the bluesy sound that listeners became familiar with on their previous records.
Working once again with producer Brian Burton (better known as Danger Mouse, who was behind such hits as “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley and “Feel Good Inc.” by Gorillaz), The Black Keys have created 11 songs reminiscent of rock music from anywhere between the 1950s to the 1970s, channeling classic rock and roll electric guitar riffs and distortion, songs complete with fuzz, grunge, hand claps and “na na na’s.”
Album opener and current single “Lonely Boy” sets the tone for the entire album: fast and bass drum-driven by drummer Patrick Carney, with a catchy and repetitive guitar hook and soulful vocals by Dan Auerbach (very effectively backed by female vocals in the chorus).
After the more poppy, organ-supported, call-and-response gang vocals on the fun “Dead and Gone,” flows “Gold on the Ceiling,” the third track on the album, carrying on the energy gained in “Lonely Boy” easily. This time featuring a fuzzy riff similar to that found in their previous single “Howlin’ For You,” followed by a clear, raw guitar line, this track is carried in large part by Auerbach’s vocals, paired once again with a perfectly placed female harmony in the chorus.
Next up is the standout of the album, “Little Black Submarines,” a woeful, hard-rocking song, which begins as a slow, soft, acoustic number and then suddenly erupts into a building, powerful trade-off of electric guitar and drums between Auerbach and Carney. Here, listeners are treated to a song that is starkly emotional, musically and lyrically, deviating from the anticipated formula for four minutes of unexpected but exciting intensity.
Despite all of its hooks, the album dips after its fifth track, “Money Maker,” offering more of what listeners have already heard but in a way that is less gripping. “El Camino” never quite regains the momentum it reached in the first half of the album, due in large part to a few of its songs that — while filled with hooks and solid instrumentation — struggle to command the attention of the listener.
That being said, “El Camino” is still a fun, catchy, and — yes, maybe a little goofy — album that invites dancing, a little head banging, and maybe an amusing daydream here or there of a 1970s car chase.
Grade: B-