If there’s some FUNKIER new MUSIC in stores right now, PLEASE, let a brother know. While browsing Best Buy recently, I came upon the new Black Keys CD “Brothers.” Priced at 10-dollars, I grabbed it based on the sonic fusion of soul, blues and rock of their last CD “Attack and Release.”
Danger Mouse produced the duo’s “Attack and Release,” the guys did most of this one themselves, with some help from Mark Neil. Missy Elliott protégé Nicole Wray is a featured background vocalist on several tracks. And Danger Mouse re-appears as producer on the song “Tighten Up.” The disc begins with a thunderous opening on “Everlasting Light” and keeps you ridin’ through “Next Girl,” “Howlin’ for You,” and “She’s Long Gone.” The groove takes it down a thousand with the instrumental “Black Mud,” then gets retro with songs like “The Only One” “Too Afraid to Love You,” “Ten Cent Pistol” and “Sinister Kid.”
Steeped in the BLUES, “Brothers” channels the traditional sounds of Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and Jimi Hendrix, liken to Led Zeppelin incorporating elements of Willie Dixon in their music. Yes, The Black Keys have officially earned their “Blue Eyed Soul” card. They will surely garner fans of R&B and FUNK as those before them like Amy Winehouse, Joss Stone, Hall & Oates and AWB have. Oh yeah, these white boys can play some FUNKY music FUNK lover, fo’ sho! Here’s a side note, the CD gets white as you play it. It’s all black when you open it, but as it heats up, it turns to an eggshell color, keeping the letters in black to be read on a white background. The CD also has a pin-up poster in the package! Talkin’ bout’ keepin’ it ol’ skool – What! It’s worth the $10 bucks and more. If that’s not enough, you can buy the deluxe edition for $39.99 at the band’s website. “Brothers” is the sixth release from The Black Keys.
Lots of Love
c-dub
