Pandora's dirtiest blues

The Black Keys have as much ownership over their signature sound (grooving guitar licks, lockstep drumming, and strangely sexual vocals) as any other band currently playing music, and because of this have been able to take liberties with their sound without taking genuine risks. I consider the Black Keys 2010's most vinyl worthy band and Brothers, a double vinyl album, mainly lives up to that reputation.

The final three sides gave me two impressions: 1) this album is four songs too long and could have fit on one slab of vinyl 2) many of these songs are low key grooves that will provide changeups in the live sitting and slowly grow on fans over the next couple years. I listened to these sides once. I listened to the first side three times. Side 1 neglects their typically rugged blues sound by adding new elements to the foreground ("Everlasting Light" and "Howling for You") and background ("Next Girl" and "Tighten Up"). The grooves are smoother, the hooks more complex, and the format adventurous.

It's fitting that the Black Keys and Dead Weather released albums at the same time. Eight years ago, a lazy comparison between the Black Keys and White Stripes was impossible to escape. At that time, their sounds were new and unique, so that the now obvious distinctions were harder to capture. For the next half decade, Jack White expanded the White Stripes sound while the Keys perfected theirs. On Get Behind Me Satan, Jack and Meg pushed their sound to the extreme and Icky Thump--seemingly their final album since "Under Northern Lights" carries the titular finality of "Let it Be"--had little room to progress in a constructive way. Although the band is ostensibly on hiatus because of Meg's anxiety, I'm not sure they have anywhere else to go.

The Black Keys aren't at this breaking point, but "Everlasting Light," Side 1's greatest digression, suggests they may be casting it furtive glances. Fundamentally, the Black Keys are raw; their sound translates well in grungy clubs and resonates with dudes that are a month overdue on a haircut. I don't blame the Black Keys for wanting to escape the boundaries of boilerplate and the stale confines of form mastered, but "Everlasting Silence," whether its a good or bad song, is not the Black Keys. If the divergence into falsetto foretells more movement away from their core elements they risk losing their identity.



Where will the next Black Keys album take them, and how much further can they expand their sound before they lost control over it? At some point the possibilities of guitar and drums run out. Jack White has opted for four piece bands, which has solidified his sound and provided new ground to explore. The Black Keys seem to recognize that if they want to stay relevant, they will need to make a sonic leap at some point in the near future. They are in search of muses to keep their sound fresh. How would Dan and Patrick sound next to B3 organ, bass, or a second guitarist? Adding new pieces would muddy their essence, but allow for reinvention.

The Black Keys play the Fillmore in less than two weeks. I'm intrigued to see how these Side 1 songs--with looping guitars, whistles, and other ambience--are arranged in the live setting. Regardless, it should be a kick-ass night.