Album Review: The Black Keys – ‘El Camino’
The Black Keys – ‘El Camino’
Music Trajectory Rating: 4.5/5
Admittedly, I am late to writing up and publishing a review of this album but, admittedly, it took me some time to see the brilliance in this album. So, yes, it is as good as everyone says it is!
I came to know about The Black Keys when my local alternative radio stations were consistently playing “Howlin For You” and “Tighten Up” from 2010’s Brothers album. The Black Keys must have reached their zenith to be able to turn right back around a year later and release what is probably the best album of their career. Turns out they have seven albums! This gives me plenty of material to further research.
As is stands now, The Black Keys are definitely one of the hottest rock bands going. El Camino debuted at #2 on the Billboard Album Charts, lead single “Lonely Boy” is currently #1 on Billboard’s Rock Singles Charts, and 2nd single “Gold On The Ceiling” is #15 and climbing.
When I first heard “Lonely Boy” back in October, I knew it was going to be a big hit and I personally loved the song, and the one-shot video they made for the song of a man dancing. 91X, one of my local radio stations here in San Diego had the full album streaming online so I listened to it a few times over a few days. I instantly liked most of the tracks but it wasn’t until I went out and bought a copy and listened to it several times that I really found the brilliance of this album, as I mentioned before. It is true, The Black Keys are heavily influenced by blues-rock bands of the past but their brilliance lies in their ability to make that old sound and those old riffs current and new. The Black Keys have crafted a dirty, crunchy, sexy, and catchy sound and a fantastic album in El Camino. Highly recommended if you are into rock, indie-rock, garage-rock, or blues-rock.
Best Three Tracks on the Album:
Other Standout Tracks on the Album:
Links of Interest:
The Black Keys Official Website
Follow The Black Keys on Facebook
Follow The Black Keys on Twitter
Learn More About The Black Keys on Wikipedia
The Black Keys Youtube Channel
The Blac Keys NME.com Artist Page
The Black Keys ArtistDirect Artist Page
El Camino Album Review on RollingStone.com
El Camino Album Review on spin.com
Buy “Lonely Boy” single on Amazon
Buy “Gold on the Ceiling” on Amazon
by Chris Freyer
Category: Album Reviews, Posts
Tags: Album Reviews, Blues Rock, El Camino, Garage Rock, Nonesuch Records, The Black Keys