The Black Keys, Brothers (Nonesuch, 2010)

The Black Keys are a duo from Akron, Ohio consisting of Dan Auerbach on vocals and guitar and Patrick Carney on drums. After a brief hiatus in which Auerbach recorded a pretty good solo album called Keep It Hid, the band return this summer with their sixth studio album, called Brothers.

On Brothers, Auerbach and mostly branch out from the sparse but aggressive two-instrument sound of their earlier work. Most of the songs have at least some overdubbing, particularly bass guitar (played by Auerbach). The duo aim for a bit more of a soulful and danceable feel on a few of the tracks, including the single "Tighten Up,"the groovy but abrasive "Sinister Kid" and a cover of Jerry Butler's "Never Gonna Give You Up" (thankfully no relation to the Rick Astley song). This generally works well enough, but when Auerbach tries to sing falsetto like on the opening song "Everlasting Light," he misfires badly. Some aspects of the sound remain unchanged, though. Auerbach's affinity for vacuum tube amps continues to give his guitar playing a distinctively retro-sounding distortion, for example. And he remains at his best when he does swampy, bluesy, gritty rockers like "She's Long Gone."

With Brothers, The Black Keys recognize the need to try to diversify their sound. Their intentions are good, but the results are a bit mixed.

Overall grade: B-

reviewed by Scott

the video for "Tigthen Up"

Top 10 CDs of 2009

So finally, after only a month of procrastination, I've reviewed all the albums I listened to in 2009 and can present to you my annual list of favorites.

10. Dan Auerbach, Keep it Hid: Some solid old-school rock from Ohio.

9. Captain Bogg & Salty, Emphatical Piratical: Aargh! Move up a few spots if you have kids. Move up a few more spots if your kids are into pirates.

8. The Soundtrack of Our Lives, Communion: If they put the best half of this on a single disc, it would have gotten an A.

7. Neko Case, Middle Cyclone: Still cryptic, still alluring, still a killer voice.

6. Týr, By the Light of the Northern Star: A fun mix of history, Norse legend, and hard rock.

5. White Rabbits, It's Frightening: Drum roll, please!

4. Kris Delmhorst, Shotgun Singer: A really artistic record that kept growing on me.

3. Rupa & The April Fishes, Este Mundo: Wildly eclectic, globally conscious, and fun.

2. Boot, Soot: The best Nordic CD since 2000.

1. Warsaw Village Band, Infinity: Superior musicianship combined with brazen experimentation.

I've discovered, among other things, that I really need to rework my grading system, especially where the B+ albums are concerned -- a few of them made the list, and a few might not have even deserved a B. Oh well, back to the drawing board in 2010...

Dan Auerbach, Keep It Hid (Nonesuch, 2009)

Ohio native Dan Auerbach first came to prominence as the guitarist and singer for the duo The Black Keys -- think of them as a more down and dirty version of The White Stripes. While the band still exists, Auerbach took some time off from the group to record his first solo album Keep It Hid.

Freed from the relatively inflexible two instrument format of The Black Keys, Auerbach aims for sonic diversity on Keep It Hid. The album is bookended by a pair of fairly mellow tracks, "Trouble Weighs a Ton" and "Goin' Home." On the ballad "When the Night Comes," Auerbach sings soulfully above an acoustic guitar and a mellotron. Still, Auerbach specializes in harder-edged material, and for the most part the rockers dominate the album. Three songs in particular stick out. The biggest musical statement comes early on, with the second song "I Want Some More." The raunchy vocals, crunching guitar, and reggae organ combine to make this a great single. Otherwise, "My Last Mistake" is solid retro power pop, and the blistering "Street Walkin'" sounds like late sixties proto-metal over a Bo Diddley beat.

Dan Auerbach has an affinity for vacuum tube amplifiers and analog recording equipment, so there's a good reason why his guitar sounds like a blast from the past. It's a risky approach, but Auerbach does a nice job of taking something old and making it sound fresh and vital. Keep It Hid is worth a look, with a bunch of decent songs and a couple of really good ones.

Overall grade: B+

reviewed by Scott

A live performance of "Street Walkin'."