The Black Keys
Turn Blue

LA RECENSIONE

I hadn't listened to the The Black Keys for a while, and honestly, I didn't miss them excessively. A few days ago, a TV commercial reminded me of "Dead and Gone" from the hugely successful, fun yet not very original "El Camino," which I had once worn out as much as Virgin Radio played it, which was always.
After such success, there were many expectations surrounding the Ohio duo, partially missed by the first single "Fever" from "Turn Blue" which in 2014 marked their return to the scene (and today, my return on DeBaser).
The first thing I thought was that Turn Blue was chosen as the album's name to indicate a return to more rock blues sounds, and generally, this very difficult intuition turns out to be accurate.
The album enjoys a different identity than the previous work from which it only partially inherits commercial features that become apparent in the single "Fever" and "In Time" with the Auerbach/Corney duo returning to showcase their more introspective and quirky side. There is room for a bit of psychedelia as shown by the optical effect of the album cover, immediately placed in the opening track, the beautiful "Weight of Love," while abundant indie influences fill beautiful tracks like "Year in Review" and "It's up to you Know." The retro touch of "10 Lovers," deserving of a beautiful melody, and "Bullet in the Brain," which is enjoyable in its simplicity and transformation from an initial acoustic to a more classic rock, are also well-crafted.
"In Our Prime" and the hint of Southern at the end of "Gotta get Away" confirm what has always been thought when it comes to indie music about The Black Keys, namely that the two manage not to disappoint and consistently create cool music; perhaps not always original, but more than appreciable compared to the artistic average of the period and the indie rock scene. Today, artists capable of proposing something objectively qualitative especially in the case of an eighth album should be found.
Turn Blue represents a pleasant discovery for those who think they need to dust off their playlist composed of various The Strokes, The Vines, or the flashy Kasabian (not meant as derogatory), and if I wasn't able to convince you, at least this review will serve to keep a record of the album on DeBaser as it rightly should.