REVIEW: The Black Keys ‘Turn Blue’

Black_Keys_Turn_Blue_album_coverRIYL: The White Stripes, Jack White, Cage the Elephant, Kings of Leon, Wolfmother

The Black Keys broke into the big leagues in a big way on 2010’s Brothers, a sprawling 15 track disc that proved quality rock and roll still has mass-appeal in today’s repetitive dance-pop ocean. 2011’s El Camino tweaked the formula slightly, adding more radio-friendly polish while retaining the down-and-out rawness the band is known for. Both albums won critical acclaim and turned The Keys into America’s biggest indie rock band while Jack White stewed in the background.

Turn Blue, the band’s latest, tweaks the formula yet again, conjuring a hybrid psychedelic rock/pop sound that has proved to be incredibly polarizing for fans. Pitchfork basically eviscerated it while Rolling Stone named it the 3rd best album of 2014 (for context, the top slot went to U2’s Songs of Innocence).

Much of the attention for detractors of Turn Blue has been aimed at the production of Brian ‘Danger Mouse’ Burton, who has worked with the Keys in the past but shows a heavier hand here. Burton’s unique sound helped define hit albums with CeeLo (as Gnarls Barkley), The Shins’ James Mercer (as Broken Bells) and artists like Beck, Norah Jones, Portugal. The Man, and Gorrilaz. Burton aside, Turn Blue is certainly a moodier album than El Camino, a fact party attributed to lead singer and guitarist Dan Auerbach dealing with a divorce during the album’s writing and recording sessions

“Weight of Love” opens the set with a slow build as acoustic guitar and atmospherics give way to luxurious guitar soloing and a crisp bass line before Auerbach’s vocals finally show up around the two-minute mark. It’s a great opener, full of unhurried beauty and sly lyrics. The Keys work up a more danceable groove on “In Time” with handclaps, synth riffs and slinky guitar and bass, while “Turn Blue” slows the tempo down again with a hazy retro vibe.

The albums big single “Fever” feels like the odd man out amongst such melancholy but there’s also “Gotta Get Away”, the album closer that perfectly captures the excitement of a road trip and the new beginnings possible after heartbreak. While it might not suit some people, Turn Blue is a strong addition to The Keys’ discography. It manages to feel both retro and smartly innovative and as their 8th full length, that’s no small feat.

Author: Gabe Vigh

Gabe is a Cambridge, MA based writer, photographer and artist. He is a big fan of recycling, Bob's Burgers, and a bit of a weather buff.