The Black Keys
Thickfreakness

THE REVIEW

Is the August heatwave haunting you and you don't know what to do? "Thickfreakness" is the solution to your problems: a breath of fresh air made in Akron, Ohio by Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney, better known as The Black Keys.

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

"Thickfreakness" is the classic album that makes your foot tap in time without you even noticing, after all it's hard to resist the visceral and engaging music of the Keys: just listen to the opening trio Thickfreakness-Hard Row-Set You Free to realize the strong personality of their tracks. The surprises don't end here: over its forty minutes, the album is able to showcase other sides of the Keys, such as the sweetness of Midnight in Her Eyes, or the hilarity of If You See Me and Hurt Like Mine, or even the tension of the pulp song Everywhere I Go, a cover of bluesman Junior Kimbrough, perfect for a Tarantino film. Another cover stands out within the platter: the powerful Have Love, Will Travel, written by Richard Berry. Special mention must be made of the lyrics, which are mostly centered on the theme of love, a love never romantic but always cheeky and sincere.

With this album, the first successes began to arrive for the Akron duo, who were paving the way for their celebrated successor Rubber Factory, already more polished and with a touch less spontaneity. "Thickfreakness" has all the makings to become one of your summer albums, even under the scorching August sun!

After all, it's only rock'n'roll... but I like it!