The Top 20 Albums of 2010 #6 The Black Keys: Brothers

The Top 20 Albums of 2010

#6 The Black Keys: Brothers

Words by Dirk Calloway 

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Owning this record was not a New Year's Resolution, but when 2010 began, this was on the top of my "Must Own" list. When it finally arrived I was like a kid in a candy store. Not only did I buy the thing on its release date, but I bought a new pair of headphones to go with it. Listening to it with earbuds was not going to cut it! This album changed how I listen to music. I rock out Sennheiser's at work and at home now, with the purest bass I can afford pumping out at all hours of the day. The sound is crazy precise, which is exactly what you need to appreciate a new Black Keys album.

For those that missed it, their previous record Attack and Release was a ready-made classic. That was in no small part thanks to their collaboration with super-producer Danger Mouse who pumped up the sound of a duo into a full-fledged world-class rock outfit. It was their White Blood Cells, their Revolver, their The Bends. Hyphenated-hyperbole abounded! This set the stage for a powerful victory lap. But could they deliver their equivalent of an Elephant, or a Sgt Pepper or an Ok Computer? 3 Grammy Awards (+ 2 extra nominations) and around 500,000 sales in the USA alone... I would say that they've finally hit The Big Time. Hell, check out their music video for Next Girl below, the scrolling text sums it up: "this is not the official video for The Black Keys' Next Girl, this is an attempt by their record label to attract attention to the band using a ridiculous dinosaur puppet." To have that damn puppet lip synching whilst a bikini-clad woman writhes orgasmically in the background... instant classic.

A nice send-up of 'alternative culture' whilst taking the piss out of mainstream music videos, no? I love it. The song's not half bad either. Just as you're tiring of the riffs and hooks, they switch it up midway through to launch into some half-time swing, then when they bring back the things you were bored of a few seconds earlier you're desperate to hear some more. It's a neat way of keeping your ears interested, clinging on, and they repeat the technique often. No song here is "static." If it appears at first like the song is simmering, you're wrong, it's moments away from reaching boiling point. The aforementioned record label has apparently taken notice of this and have really gone to town with the marketing of Brothers. The next music video up today is for a song called Tighten Up. It won the Grammy for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and was also nominated for Best Rock Song. In the video, you think the duo will burst into song, but instead it's their kids who take over. Suddenly we're in a playground romance, complete with a desperate love triangle and a decent fight scene. Clearly The Black Keys are determined to mess with your expectations:

But let's get to the reason this album is so high up the list. Everlasting Light, which opens the proceedings with a rock-solid keyboard part, is probably my favourite song of the year. Its lyrics are heartfelt, gentle and - more importantly - sincere. I won't paste them here, because in the cold light of day they seem too innocent to be genuine.  The overdrive-laden delivery by vocalist Dan Auerbach brings an adult touch to them that sounds like he's making a vow to his family. Patrick Carney lays down such an unshakable groove that it lends me to think about words like 'stoic' and 'strong.' Hotdamn these two are great musicians. I personally listen to this song whenever I wish to behave like a more grown-up man, the quiet and reserved type who stands tall when tough times approach. It's a beautiful track and I have played it more often than any song from 2010. I've probably heard it about 200+ times now. I can sometimes listen to it several times in one hour without causing any irritation. Gorgeous track.

So, why is Brothers not higher up in the list then? For one thing, they cancelled their gig in Wellington because they felt tired. I understand they'd been touring for most of the year, but that decision caused a loss of good-will for me. In addition to that blow, I have found that - with some months since its release - Brothers has one too many forgettable tracks for my liking. That's not to say those tunes are bad, mind. They just don't hit me like a sledgehammer in the way the next five albums' songs do. Everlasting Light though, boy, that one hit me like a freight train. I just wish more of the album had connected with me on the same visceral level. Make no mistake though, this is a measured and assured piece of work by a great group who deserve their moment in the sun, even if it causes them to squint and itch because they're outside of their natural habitat.

Tune in tomorrow for a review of Canada's greatest export since Celine Dion, Bryan Adams and Alanis.