Dan Auerbach
American duo, The Black Keys, are back after just one year with their brand new album, El Camino.
It's the seventh studio album to come from the blues-rock band since they first made their debut back in 2002 with The Big Come Up.
“…the new LP] is definitely fast"
The album has been produced by Gnarles Barkley's, Danger Mouse (aka Brian Burton), who has worked with The Black Keys twice before, as well as with Gorillaz and The Good, The Bad and The Queen. In an interview with Spin magazine, singer/guitarist, Dan Auerbach, said: “"He understands all the different kinds of music we're into."
Although the album has just been released, Auerbach, and drummer/producer, Patrick Carney, already gave fans a taster of the album. The pair released their first single, ‘Lonely Boy’, back in October, before making four additional tracks available to listen to in November.
Just by listening to the five pre-released tracks, you know exactly what El Camino's all about: up-beat, lively and containing plenty of guitar riffs from Auerbach. And the rest of the album lives up to that too. “…the new LP] is definitely fast," admitted Auerbach. “It's the fastest we've ever played."
Some of the tracks from El Camino take you back to Attack and Release in a way; Lonely Boy and Run Right Back having the same fast-paced tempo and prominent drum and guitar sounds that Strange Times did for example. And it’s quite possibly because it was one of the albums that Danger Mouse worked on.
In saying that though, the album is definitely a change in direction from the last album, Brothers (the other album that Brian Burton produced). In his interview, Auerbach also said: "The new album doesn't sound like Brothers. It doesn't have that open soul feel to it. It's way more driving…”
Brothers earned The Black Keys a Grammy earlier this year, when it won Best Alternative Music Album, and there's nothing they can’t get themselves another for El Camino.
In the meantime though, the band is busy with their tour, which comes to the UK on 3 February when they play Nottingham. The Black Keys’ shows finish in London on 11 February.
Sophie Burluraux
Tagged in The Black Keys