The Black Keys -- El Camino -- 12/6/11

[LionsFanNJ]

The only time I have a problem when a band goes "mainstream" is when they noticeably mine their style to stay relevant with the new-found fan base. Black Keys started molding their current style on the Junior Kimbrough EP and onward.

They still have that blues basis they started with, but instead of fuzz and distortion and Patrick's mud-fi production they've incorporated other instruments, stronger musicianship and songwriting, and a lot more textures. Brothers is just as good as Thickfreakness to me.

This. If anything the Black Keys have a budget and producer that knows how to mine and refine their sound thus natural evolution into what they are today. I can play all the albums from the Big Come Up to Brothers just as much, though like I said I trend toward more lo-fi music, but I think that's part from my musician friends I know and their tendencies rubbing off on me.


KOL totally went away from the Southern rock/punk roots (IMO of course) which is why you see them get so much **** all over the place from longtime fans from the beginning such as myself. It didn't feel natural to me but again it worked for them but they've lost a lot of longtime fans for many newer ones that don't listen to the earlier albums. I mean personally I listen to Sex on Fire and wonder WTF is the band that brought me Molly's Chambers, Tahilina Sky, The Bucket and Four Kicks.

Though looking back and skimming I don't think anyones said that the Black Keys sold out unless I missed a post

[HealyMonster]

Re: The Black Keys -- El Camino -- 12/6/11

I...ummm...."aquired" the entire album yesterday. I've probably listened to it four or five times through.

My thoughts:

Spoiler

I will say that it doesn't sound like any of their other cd's....those looking for something more "ThickFreakness" with dirty guitar and more bluesy, drawn down vocals, this isn't it. In my opinion, if I had to choose, it's more Brothers than anything else, but even that is really not a fair comparison, but it's kind of what you would expect as a follow up given the direction their headed on.

It's "faster", but not in the Strange Times, I got Mine, Your Touch, All Hands against his Own kind of way where it's just Dan and Pat playing loud and fast. The songs, like Brothers, are much more complete and structured. More instruments, more rhythm and more back ground vocals. It's more "Everlasting light" and "The Only One" from Brothers, but without Dan singing falsetto. More faster/happy/cleaner than faster/angry/dirty if that makes sense.

I don't think there are any bad songs on the album. Solid all the way through, but maybe there aren't as high of highs as on some of their previous stuff. Every song is catchy in it's own way. It definitely has a 70's vibe to it, but I just can't put my finger on who. I imagine some will be dissapointed by the direction they took, especially those hoping they were going back to classic Black Keys from 10 years ago.



For what it is worth, I will still be purchasing a hard copy on Tuesday.

Would it be fair to say Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers type vibe on some of the songs? Some of their beats also seem to have almost an 80's videogame sound to them, like the beat is something from an 8 bit game from back in the day, but its flushed out with instruments and vocals now.

1st listen through, I was disappointed. I didnt have that 1 song that was like "Ok, this is my new jam". Oddly though, Ive listened through the entire album about 3 or 4 times already each listen through pretty much just straight through. While there wasnt something that was "it", there wasnt anything that made me want to skip a song or take me out of the mood to listen to the CD. Since I stopped listening for "it" A few songs have grown on me.

Spoiler

Favorite song so far is Little Black Submarines

[Trevytrev11]

Re: The Black Keys -- El Camino -- 12/6/11

Would it be fair to say Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers type vibe on some of the songs? Some of their beats also seem to have almost an 80's videogame sound to them, like the beat is something from an 8 bit game from back in the day, but its flushed out with instruments and vocals now.

1st listen through, I was disappointed. I didnt have that 1 song that was like "Ok, this is my new jam". Oddly though, Ive listened through the entire album about 3 or 4 times already each listen through pretty much just straight through. While there wasnt something that was "it", there wasnt anything that made me want to skip a song or take me out of the mood to listen to the CD. Since I stopped listening for "it" A few songs have grown on me.

Spoiler

Favorite song so far is Little Black Submarines

Pretty much sums up my thoughts as well....favorite song too.

Spoiler

Glad they changed the pace on it...wouldn't have been as good if they had kept it accoustic the whole song. I also like that it's an almost direct switch from one to the other and not a constant build that would be expected in something like that

I get the Petty comparison. The intro guitar on Run Right Back sounds like it could come directly from them. But then Stop Stop sounds like it could be something from Motown with some added guitart. It's a bit all over the place, but still has a sound from those era's.

Maybe no A+ Songs, but a lot of B+/A- tracks, IMO. But that can all change...sometime it takes several listens before something clicks.

[HealyMonster]

Re: The Black Keys -- El Camino -- 12/6/11

Pretty much sums up my thoughts as well....favorite song too.

Spoiler

Glad they changed the pace on it...wouldn't have been as good if they had kept it accoustic the whole song. I also like that it's an almost direct switch from one to the other and not a constant build that would be expected in something like that

I get the Petty comparison. The intro guitar on Run Right Back sounds like it could come directly from them. But then Stop Stop sounds like it could be something from Motown with some added guitart. It's a bit all over the place, but still has a sound from those era's.

Maybe no A+ Songs, but a lot of B+/A- tracks, IMO. But that can all change...sometime it takes several listens before something clicks.

Yeah, your right about the stop stop motown sound now that you mention it. It also reminds me of the song in the GTA V Trailer a little bit

[HealyMonster]

Re: The Black Keys -- El Camino -- 12/6/11

pretty much sums up this album for me:

<object height="315" width="420">


<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/j9DQx6JUk40?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="315" width="420"></object>

[savoie2006]

Re: The Black Keys -- El Camino -- 12/6/11

pretty much sums up this album for me:

<OBJECT width=420 height=315>
&nbsp
&nbsp
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/j9DQx6JUk40?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="315" width="420"></OBJECT>

Not sure what exactly you're saying here. It was hard to hear the video. Does it make you wanna kill yourself? Could it be that bad? I'm gonna guess no.

[HealyMonster]

Not sure what exactly you're saying here. It was hard to hear the video. Does it make you wanna kill yourself? Could it be that bad? I'm gonna guess no.

Lol no, I couldn't find a better clip, the message was that it's growing on me.

[Stu]

Re: The Black Keys -- El Camino -- 12/6/11

Just downloaded and gave it a first listen. I'm working so my attention is sporadic but I'm really digging it so far. I definitely get the Tom Petty vibe that others mentioned earlier. Mind Eraser is probably my favorite song after the first go around.

[savoie2006]

Re: The Black Keys -- El Camino -- 12/6/11

No matter how much you enjoy the earlier Black Keys, if you don't like this cd, you have POOR TASTE in music. It's catchy and it rocks your socks off. What more can you want from a group?!

[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: The Black Keys -- El Camino -- 12/6/11


<EMBED height=288 type=application/x-shockwave-flash width=512 src=http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:video:colbertnation.com:403735 flashVars="" base="." allowScriptAccess="always" allowFullScreen="true"></EMBED>

The Colbert Report
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<div style="background-color:#000000;width:520px;"><div style="padding:4px;"><embed src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:video:colbertnation.com:403741" width="512" height="288" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" base="." flashVars=""></embed><p style="text-align:left;background-color:#FFFFFF;padding:4px;margin-top:4px;margin-bottom:0px;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px;"><b><a href="http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/403741/december-06-2011/exclusive---the-black-keys----gold-on-the-ceiling-">The Colbert Report</a></b><br/>Get More: <a href='http://www.colbertnation.com/full-episodes/'>Colbert Report Full Episodes</a>,<a href='http://www.indecisionforever.com/'>Political Humor & Satire Blog</a>,<a href='http://www.colbertnation.com/video'>Video Archive</a></p></div></div>

[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: The Black Keys -- El Camino -- 12/6/11

<div style="background-color:#000000;width:520px;"><div style="padding:4px;"><embed src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:video:colbertnation.com:403736" width="512" height="288" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" base="." flashVars=""></embed><p style="text-align:left;background-color:#FFFFFF;padding:4px;margin-top:4px;margin-bottom:0px;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px;"><b><a href="http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/403736/december-06-2011/the-black-keys----lonely-boy-">The Colbert Report</a></b><br/>Get More: <a href='http://www.colbertnation.com/full-episodes/'>Colbert Report Full Episodes</a>,<a href='http://www.indecisionforever.com/'>Political Humor & Satire Blog</a>,<a href='http://www.colbertnation.com/video'>Video Archive</a></p></div></div>

[ScoobySnax]

Re: The Black Keys -- El Camino -- 12/6/11

What's the verdict on this one? Haven't given it a listen yet. So much good music coming out this month.

[Trevytrev11]

Re: The Black Keys -- El Camino -- 12/6/11

What's the verdict on this one? Haven't given it a listen yet. So much good music coming out this month.

Like someone else said, regardless of the fact that it isn't a throwback Black Keys album, it is, in my mind, a very solid and complete musical album. I would say 4/5 stars or so if I had to give it a rating.

[savoie2006]

Re: The Black Keys -- El Camino -- 12/6/11

Yeah an easy 4 out of 5 stars. There are a couple songs that sound rather similar, but other than that, it's a real feel good disc that would have been perfect for a summer release.

[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: The Black Keys -- El Camino -- 12/6/11

This really feels like a jump off from Brothers. It still has that bluesy-soul (albeit more uptempo overall), but the sound is fuller and more fleshed out. Brothers still had that feeling of a power duo, but El Camino feels more like a three piece. Not that I'm complaining its a great album and a nice progression from Brothers. It's very 60s psychedelic-blues while hitting on uptempo soul.