The Black Keys Turn Blue as reviewed on The Phantom Tollbooth Overall, I like this record, though it's taken me a few listens to get past the El Camino comparisons and allow this release to stand on its own merits.

Turn Blue
Artist: The Black Keys
Label: Nonesuch Records
Time: 46 minutes/11 tracks

It's often more difficult to review an album by an established artist than a debut from a new artist. You inevitably want to compare the current release to previous releases, and if the new music is better, then it's not as much of a problem. However, when the artist is following up an absolutely brilliant record, it can be hard not to compare the two releases, even if the follow-up is a good record in its own right. Such is the quandary of the music critic, and such is the quandary I face while listening to Turn Blue, the latest release from The Black Keys.

The first thing one notices about Turn Blue is how slick it sounds. It's definitely the band's most produced record to date, and a far cry from the stripped down blues stomp of their earlier records. Once again, Brian "Danger Mouse" Burton is the one twiddling the knobs, and he brings plenty of studio trickery to the table, even more so than when he produced the band's brilliant El Camino and also Attack and Release. Borrowing a page from the Phil Spector "Wall of Sound" playbook, the album opens with "Weight of Love," starting small and low-key while building gradually for two minutes before it finally settles into a groove and the vocals come in. It's a different sound for the band, and yet it still feels like a Black Keys song.

Just like this song, the rest of the album borrows heavily from 70's influences of all genres. There's the easy-listening vibe of the title track and "Waiting on Words", while slow rocker "Bullet in the Brain" evokes Neil Young and Crazyhorse. If you feel like dancing, there's also the disco funk groove of "10 Lovers" as well as the frenetic "Fever" which has a keyboard hook that sounds like it was lifted from an 8-bit Nintendo game. The album's last two tracks dip into pop territory as "Gotta Get Away" rocks with Cheap Trick attitude while "In Our Prime" is pure Beatles.

All of this is not to say that this album is unoriginal. While The Black Keys may wear their influences on their sleeve, there's a lot more inspiration happening here than imitation. Overall, I like this record, though it's taken me a few listens to get past the El Camino comparisons and allow this release to stand on its own merits. It's not the best thing they've done, but it's a good record created by true artists who obviously have a deep care and concern for what they create.

3nhalf

Eric Landfried

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