The Black Keys – Brothers (Nonesuch/Universal)

October 8, 2014

Itโ€™s easy to appreciate the grain in the sound The Black Keys manage to extract on this, the duoโ€™s latest piece of arch art-blues. That, and the beautifully wonky lumbering grooves that they construct.

Brothers is an album of many very short tracks, most of which have a delicious sound, but few of which evolve into songs worth deliberating over, worth getting to know. That makes it a bit of a dweeb-fest, the sort of record that musical trainspotters fetishize, rather than a good album per se.

Fans wonโ€™t be disappointed, but as much as I respect the work of musical alchemists trying to create mutant strains that never existed in real time (in this case a canny combo of blues, rock and funk), itโ€™s hard to get too excited without tracks that have a sense of being, of being on a journey, with some place to go.

Much has been made of the fact that this was recorded at the famed Muscle Shoals studio, but itโ€™s not the characteristic warmth of the studioโ€™s classic productions that comes through. Instead, theirs is an often dark, psychedelic groove that writhes around in the trails left by early Funkadelic, mixes it with a bit of Blue Cheer power-chording, and a dollop of Blaxploitation musical cinema.

Brothers can be enjoyed on its own terms, but those terms are limited. GARY STEEL

Sound = 4

Music = 3

Avatar photo

Steel has been penning his pungent prose for 40 years for publications too numerous to mention, most of them consigned to the annals of history. He is Witchdoctor's Editor-In-Chief/Music and Film Editor. He has strong opinions and remains unrepentant. Steel's full bio can be found here

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Give a little to support Witchdoctor's quest to save high quality independent journalism. It's easy and painless! Just donate $5 or $10 to our PressPatron account by clicking on the button below.

Authors

WIn a Wiim Ultra Network Music Streamer with Witchdoctor.co.nz
Panasonic Fire TV Be Mesmerised with next gen AI TV
Advance Paris - Designed with French flair. Amplifiers, Streamers, CD players and more www.pqimports.co.nz
Previous Story

Various Artists – Deutsche Elektronic Musik (Soul Jazz/Southbound) ALBUM REVIEW

Next Story

Hidden Orchestra – Night Walks (Tru Thoughts/Border) ALBUM REVIEW

Latest from Music

Let there be drums!

Six diverse percussion compositions performed by virtuosic musician Justin DeHart challenge common notions about the most primal of instruments.
Go toTop