Black Keys – “Let’s Rock”

The Black Keys evolved from a little indie rock band to an arena band. They have a simple formula: bluesy garage rock with big riffs and chugging rhythm. It has gotten more sophisticated and a little slicker over time, but the Black Keys has never really strayed from the basic concept. This new album tosses off some of the slickness and sophistication – it is back to basics. Gone is the fussiness of the Danger Mouse production of the last three albums (don’t get me wrong I loved that sound and those albums, but it was time to move on).

There are no innovations here, just good rocking music. The dirty riffs have just enough sweetening (a keyboard here, a backup vocalist there) to go down easy. The Black Keys remind me of AC/DC – not that they sound like them – but that they have found a signature groove and consistently delivered quality rock music for nearly twenty years now. This is just another reliable chapter in the Black Keys story.

If you like big dumb guitar rock from the 70s (James Gang, ZZ Top, and T-Rex for example) you will love “Let’s Rock.”