What’s next for The Black Keys?
With their last album, Turn Blue having been out for a few years now, I often ask myself what is next for the Blues-rock duo.
At having been a massive fan of the band for a number of years now and having listened to all of their work – both major albums like El Camino and Brothers, as well as more obscure one as The Big Come Up and their tour rehearsal tapes – I am eager to see which direction they will take with their next album.
I know that their latest release, Turn Blue, received mixed reactions from die-hard fans as they felt the song’s upbeat, mainstream rhythms were a far departure from the deep, raw sounds of their older work.
For me personally, I loved it – even more so then their 2011 smash hit, El Camino – I thought it infused a psychedelic 60’s beat with Dan’s Auerbach ghostly vocals along with their blues roots perfectly to create something unique, not seen in today’s rock industry.
I will admit that it was their most mainstream album, but that isn’t to say that the songs are not worthy of the bands greatest such as I Got Mine, Next Girl and Your Touch; as I feel that tracks like, In Time and Weight of Love are most certainly worthy to be held in the same light as their best.
With every album Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney release, it is always something new; they will always shake up the formula and bring their fans something not heard from them before.
Now, whether this is a good thing or not is a debate for another day, but for me personally I always admire a band that is brave enough to try new sounds and styles.
For me, I would like them to infuse the two sounds that they’re best at and bring together something that is a combination of their old work and new.
Their old stuff is raw, un-edited and has very little production – it is just Auerbach and his guitar and Carney and his drums – whilst their new work is deep, multi-layered songs with a more upbeat, quicker sounds to them.
This is what I would love to see them combine, something akin to their rehearsal tapes where we hear the cheerful, quick, almost-pop-y song that is Next Girl performed in an uncut, grisly powerful way; yet still retaining the great lyrics to the song; almost creating something like dark humour; the happy lyrics with the deep and threatening instrumental parts.
The writing and vocals have certainly gotten better over time and that is one feature I would love to see them keep; Auerbach’s spectral, hallow vocals infused with the deep, bellowing guitar and menacing drums will surely please both classic and new fans alike.
Whatever their new work will be, it can be guaranteed that it will be something we have not heard before.