The hard rockers from Akron, Ohio are finally back with their newest album since 2011's El Camino. This new album, Turn Blue, marks a shift from the hard rocking bluesy sounds of their previous albums and veers into a more psychedelic-pop sound which retains only hints of its blues heritage.
I have to admit, when I first heard "Fever", I felt like this album was going to be a dissapointment, even though "Fever" grew on me. However, the album is so varied in sound yet connected in themes that it has something for everyone.
The album begins with the ramblings sounds of a lone acoustic guitar in "Weight of Love" then transitioning into looping and snaking guitar solos from the genius of Dan Auerbach. Had Creedence Clearwater Revival begun their playing days in this modern age, this is the equivalent of that. Conjuring up images of a travel down a desert highway at sunset, the song sets the mood for the rest of the album. "In Time" begins with a Broken Bell-esque sound most likely contributed by producer Danger Mouse, which then transitions back into familiar Black Keys territory, with small looping guitar riffs and hard rocking drum beats. Others include the Bo Diddley inspired "It's Up to You Now" and the sexy sound of the 9th track, "10 Lovers".
The rest of the album continues upon that psychedelic sound and even as it seems to deccelerate down into bluesy slow jams, it quickly picks back up to the familiar fast paced sounds of the Keys.
With the production of Danger Mouse, the guitar and bass of Dan Auerbach, and the drums of Patrick Carney, the Black Keys have created an album that holds up to its own when compared to Brothers and El Camino. In fact the three albums may even be considered a trilogy, like Bowie's Berlin albums and Dylan's 1960s classics.
Album Highlights: "Weight of Love", "In Time", "Fever", "Year in Review"
Rating: 8.5/10
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