The Black Keys on DeBaser: reviews, highlights, and where to start

The Profile

The Black Keys are an American rock duo from Akron, Ohio, consisting of Dan Auerbach (vocals/guitar) and Patrick Carney (drums), known for blues-based rock that grew from raw early recordings into major mainstream success in the 2010s.

Publicly known as an Akron, Ohio-based duo formed in 2001 (Auerbach and Carney). Widely categorized within blues rock/garage rock. They remain active and have released multiple studio albums including Brothers (2010) and El Camino (2011).

Across these reviews, The Black Keys are framed as an Akron, Ohio duo with deep blues roots and a knack for groove-driven rock'n'roll. Early records are praised for raw, low-fidelity grit and sincerity (especially "Thickfreakness" and "Rubber Factory"). Their mainstream peak is tied to "Brothers" and "El Camino," with big hooks like “Lonely Boy” and frequent mention of producer Danger Mouse. Later work (“Let’s Rock”) splits opinions, from “fun and cultured” to “boooooooring boredom.”

Notable Quotes

❝ “It's like when you light the zarsa, you feel it burn a bit in your mouth but the taste is so good.”

❝ “Dan Auerbach, the redhead, and Patrick Carney, the nerd.”

❝ “There is no heart or soul; in Let's rock, there are few ideas, banal and stale riffs, no potential hits, just lots and lots and looooooots of boooooooring boredom.”

❝ “John Lee Hooker instead of Fred "Sonic" Smith, to be clear.”

❝ “Their offering is sincere and unadorned American blues: just a guitar (delightfully fuzzy), a 4/4 DOC drum, and Dan's muddy voice.”

❝ “If anyone asks for seconds, don't hesitate, and offer "Brothers", this masterpiece by the Black Keys, until everyone has enjoyed and savored this wonderful record.”

❝ “Turn Blue immediately appears as a mature album, to be listened to and savored more with headphones than on the radio, indeed more intimate and distant from the glitz of hits”