The Black Keys – Tighten Up
I hadn’t posted anything on this album, the sixth record from one of my favorite groups, The Black Keys, because I was hoping to be able to offer a couple more tracks and do a fuller review. These boys have been busy over the last couple of years since 2008’s “Attack & Release” with solo records (Auerbach’s Keep It Hid) and side projects (Drummer for Carney, BlakRoc for both with a slew of MCs) but they’ve remained remarkably consistent. In fact I’m not sure there’s a more consistently enjoyable sound than that of the Black Keys. Their new record “Brothers” only further proves my case.
“Tighten Up” the single and only approved song to post, is probably the weakest song on the record, which says nothing about it’s sparkling qualities but is just to say that the rest of the album is even stronger. Auerbach even rolls out some new tools, including a falsetto on “Everlasting Light” and “The Only One” that had me fooled into thinking it was a guest vocalist. He also sings with a bit of a lighter tone on the cover of Jerry Butler’s “Never Gonna Give You Up” though elsewhere things are suitably muddy, dark and fuzzy, especially on the standouts “I’m Not The One,” “Too Afraid To Love You,” the instrumental “Black Mud,” “The Go-Getter” and “She’s Long Gone” where the boys more directly “sample” the Howling Wolf Album’s sound that they reference with their cover art. “Brothers” is guaranteed to be on my year end best of 2010 list.
Now, even though the track is above, I had to make sure to share the video for “Tighten Up” because it’s pure comic genius. Don’t believe me? Observe for yourself…
Additionally, while tracking down the link for “Tighten Up” I found that somehow I missed this video for “Next Girl,” which shows that either someone is a fan of Craig Ferguson in the BK’s universe or that the boys (or their people if the often hilarious scroll at the bottom of the video is to be believed) have realized the excellent comic potential of randy lip-synching puppets. Whoever put this together, it’s bloody brilliant…