CD of The Week

At this point, The Black Keys are bona fide, yet unlikely, rock stars. Eight albums into their career, the duo of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney have evolved from sludgy blues-rockers to hitmakers, as their last album, the super-hooky, Grammy-winningEl Camino, was their biggest record yet. How to follow that up? By recording Turn Blue: a dense, brooding album full of retro vibes and heartbreak.

Singer/guitarist Auerbach went through a public, ugly divorce last year and it quite obviously informed the songs on Turn Blue. Right from the get-go, the nearly 7-minute album opener “Weight Of Love” finds him declaring “Don’t give yourself away/To the weight of love.” (Auerbach also goes off with an epic guitar solo on the track.) The Keys’ relationship with producer/musician Danger Mouse is what really kicked their career into high gear, and the man also known as Brian Burton has his fingerprints all over this record. The moody, soulful vibes of a good portion of Turn Blue really feel like a companion piece to the recent Broken Bells album. Unfortunately this means much of Turn Blue, while eminently listenable, feels a bit same-y.

By far the two catchiest moments on the record come from the lead single “Fever” and album closer “Gotta Get Away.” With its keyboard hook and Motown dance beat, “Fever” is already another huge hit in the Keys’ catalog. “Gotta Get Away” opens with a total Rolling Stones guitar lick and an irresistible chorus, where Auerbach boasts that he “went from San Berdoo to Kalamazoo/just to get away from you” but laments that “all the good women are gone.”

At this point, The Black Keys can afford to stretch out a bit and continue to evolve, as their sound has advanced far beyond two guys bashing out songs in a basement. They’re a true Arena Rock Band in an era where there aren’t as many of those around anymore. You can see the Keys in Philly’s own arena, The Wells Fargo Center, on September 20. (Also donate at least $20 to Y-Not Radio and you can receive a copy of Turn Blue as a thank you gift!)