This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Le Moyne chapter.
THE BLACK KEYS! How I have not covered this mind-blowing duo yet. But
seriously, only two people have created all that head rocking glory? It’s almost too
good to be true.
I’ve had a very unique listening relationship with this band, they’ve surely
helped me rock through the good times and the bad times, and they sure as hell
have gotten me through the ugly times. This really is a band that produces atypical
tempos, so you will continuously be in luck for whatever disposition you wake up in.
You know those times you just need to get something out of your system, and the
only way you feel like its possible is to dance it out? I know it sounds completely
cliché, but the Black Keys are that band for me, through and through.
To the contrary of other album reviewers, I believe that you can come to the
Black Keys for reinvention. On their 2010 release album Brothers, “Tighten Up”
speaks for itself. Vocalist Dan Auerbach’s falsetto is pure talent. The guy has
sharpened the howling knack over a long period of time. “Next Girl”, an entertaining,
and raunchy tune is bitterly honest. And I love that. Lyrically it admits that a
previous girlfriend, even though beautiful, was impossible to co-exist with. The
relationship stood without a solution. It’s having a bitter attitude towards the
amount of energy put into a relationship. “All that work over, over so much time if I,
if I think too hard, I might lose my mind.” Like they so ever poetically state, the look
of the cake ain’t always the taste. This is frankly something I can relate to.
“Everlasting Light” is an enormously sentimental song for me. Not because
its measured, or sluggish sounding. Actually for from it, I can recognize those first
three second of that symbol beat from anywhere. And when I do, it all breaks loose.
The tune quickly evolves into a hard, pounding on the drums and a wailing guitar.
It’s a low-fi floor stomper if I’ve ever heard one. The band makes an amazing use of
pedals in this, and many other songs. It’s too bad when a fantastic song reminds you
of someone you’d like to forget. A time and place in your life you have bittersweet
memories of. But I know in the future the sweetness will outrank the bitter,
hopefully sooner rather than later.
But I believe the two bluesy souls created their catchiest album yet with El
Camino released by Nonesuch Records in 2011. Dirty guitar, fuzzed out sound, and
thumping baselines. One favorite lies within the soul of “Little Black Submarine.” I
think what I like most is that the first half of the song offers a sad acoustic mood.
The despondency is emotionally raw. My favorite part rocks in about two thirds of
the way in. The beat drops, and a sexier tempo arises, featuring a more off beat,
heavy, and loud rhythm, much easier to swing to.
These walking rockist creatures serve us a platter of playful dizzy hits. Join
in on the wicked handclapping and the immorally satisfying jamming in the rubber
factory. Wait for the distortion to kick in, because, oh sweet thing, it will. It’s gritty,
it’s seedy, it’s awesome. Rock is here and it’s by no means going away.