The Black Keys | ”El Camino” | Album Review

Story by Mitch McCann 

| Published Dec 6, 2011

Coming in to this, I had few expectations for “El Camino.” With each of their releases being spaced two years apart (with the exception of 2003’s “Thickfreakness”) “El Camino” seemed rushed, it had a weird title that made me think more of a kooky White Stripes offshoot than anything The Black Keys had ever done, and most strange of all, it seemed to come out of nowhere. Guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney could have coasted on the uproar around “Brothers” for years. Hell, you can probably still catch some of the singles on rotation on the more conservative radio stations.

What I know now, at the end of a week-long binge on “El Camino,” is that both The Black Keys and I have come out the other side better men.

In the short term I don’t really know what “El Camino” means for the The Black Keys. But in the long term, I can say for certain that any doubt The Black Keys don’t belong in the pantheon of rock legends has been left in the dust.

Each successive record seems to be met with a skeptical “how can they top the last one?” mentality, and each successive record only gives them stronger footing as one of the most prolific rock bands of the day. Danger Mouse has not only sharpened the Black Keys’ already firm production, he’s ended up with the year’s best rock album.

While, to me, the album initially didn’t seem to amount to much more than a few leftovers from “Brothers” with some funky additions--“Gold on the Ceiling” is basically just “Howlin’ for You” 2.0 (it even uses the same static-y guitar, heavy kick riff)--”El Camino” slowly develops its own grainy personality.

Ballsy, driving, and loose “El Camino” serves up plenty of excellent tuneage, counting “Lonely Boy,” “Hell of a Season,” and “Nova Baby” among the Keys’ best ever.

At a point in history when the term “rock ‘n’ roll” seems to lose more meaning with each passing day, it’s becoming harder and harder to imagine The Black Keys as anything less than rock radio’s wet dream. The proud Akronites’ old school approach blended with a timeless rocking sound transfers seamlessly to tape. Rock on, my “Brothers.”