The Black Keys-Brothers

2 days, 68 hours, 4095 minutes, or 245719 seconds. However you want to look at it.

This band pisses me off, while delightfully entertaining me at the same time, all in one swift punch to the ears. They sound so dirty and grimmey, while still producing some beautiful song-writing and interesting sounds out the wazoo. Somedays, I can't handle it; others, its the only thing I listen to all day. It's not like The xx, where I grew into the sound. It's a jin-u-ine 100% love-hate relationship. Especially on Brothers. Attack and Release, The Black Keys last studio album, was tamer, but easier to hear, relying more on the fast paced headbangers, and less on the heart-of-blues slow rock from hell. But, hey; No risk, No reward; and Brothers is very rewarding, in many ways of it's own.

Not all that different from their blues bretheren The White Stripes, The Black Keys are from the Mid-West (Akron, Ohion to be exact) where the mere two members, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney, began playing the underground Akron scene in 2001, before releasing their first album, The Big Come Up, in 2002, featuring a cover of "She Said, She Said", a Beatles gem from Revolver. The band gained praise from both the public and the critics. Since the first album, The Black Keys have since released 6 albums, a live album, and a collaboration project with dozens of rappers titled Blakroc. Dawg.

As I said before, my connection to The Black Keys is a real dusty love. Songs like "Sinister Kid" and "I'm Not the One" have a real rugged attractiveness that draws in listeners with every cast of the beat, whilst somehow scaring them away. "Ten Cent Pistol" is the perfect soundtrack to every great Western shoot-out, with its quite disposition looming around it's musical occupancy, occasionally taking hits to the chest with Auerbach's occasional gruffly wail into the microphone. The song, like almost all of the tracks on Brothers, never features more than drums and two very electric guitars, installing a rugged American edge in their beautifully orchestrated blues ventures.

One of the best aspects of the album, however, is it's perfect use of other instruments, ever so sparingly. Only releasing enough sound to make a small dent on the hood of "Everlasting Life", a small group of voices adds an occasional old-time "shoo wahh" to the mix, making the song belong more in an old juke-box than my iPod. Paying small homage to their inner Andrew Bird, "Tighten Up" proudly displays a small army of whistlers, tweeting a melody fit for the playground; a feature beautifully paired with the songs lyrics of life as a young man, and how sadly different the writer is now. The two songs standout on the album, certainly as the catchiest, as well as two of the best.

Some of the songs drag on without ever really going anywhere, wandering endlselly in a vast desert of troubling love stories and jangly guitars. "Too Afraid Too Love You" stays consistently boring from start to finish, and without it's decent lyrics, the song would be a dud. Luckily, these songs are few and far between, always sandwiched by some of modern blues' greatest work. "The Go Getter", "She's Long Gone", and my favorite "Next Girl" all pick up any drooping momentum and steadies listeners for more slow burning blues jams.

Towards the end of the album, the songs start to take a graceful turn towards quieter softer pastures. The last three songs all slowly unwind, as if accompaning the graceful death of a wise man who's seen his share of battles. "Never Give You Up" sounds like it belongs on the first She and Him album; not to one of the scruffiest powerhouses in modern rock. Still, the songs sound just as great as the harder material, showcasing The Black Keys versatility in their song-writing ability even farther. I honestly just fell asleep to the closing track, "These Days", before waking to the opening of Magic Potion. I'm telling you, it's serene stuff.

The Black Keys pack a hard punch, and they can be tough as nails to mentally digest. The two men have nearly perfected a form of music that sounds much heavier and more honest than any metal bands can ever try to achieve. So beware, ye of easy eardrums. Here lies the blues monster tandum that is The Black Keys.