Album Review: The Black Keys-Turn Blue

Ohio blues rock duo The Black Keys have been an unstoppable force in the past few years. Since the release of Brothers in 2008, The Black Keys have enjoyed a level of success that has been matched by only a handful of other modern rock bands. Their ascent from longtime underground darlings to mainstream superstars in recent years seems to have taken a toll on them with the release of their latest record, Turn Blue, which is easily the weakest collection of tracks they've released thus fur.

Turn Blue sees The Black Keys largely turning in their typical bluesy garage rock sound in favor of a more stripped-down, psychedelic sound. In the process, The Black Keys mute their biggest strength as a band: killer guitar riffs. Keyboards, not guitars drive a vast majority of the tracks on Turn Blue. The keyboard-driven sound is effective at times- namely on the spacey, almost Pink Floyd-esque "Bullet to the Brain", but on the whole the more subdued musical approach doesn't work for The Black Keys. The keys also seem to have drained the dynamic energy out of their sound. The Black Keys have always sounded lively in their past material. On Turn Blue, they sound dreary and kind of bored with the music they're creating. It's a sudden and mostly unwelcome change of heart for a band that has made a name for themselves with a riff-heavy, uptempo sound.

Where Turn Blue is able to somewhat salvage itself is when The Black Keys just be themselves and let the guitars drive the songs. Album opener "Weight of Love" is one of the most staggering pieces of music they've ever crafted. Vocalist/guitarist Dan Auerbach channels early blues artists like B.B. King and Buddy Guy with his emotional crooning and stunning solo to conclude the track. "In Our Prime" and "It's Up to You Know" don't quite reach the heights of "Weight of Love", but also triumph with their power and impressive musicality.  The highlights of Turn Blue reaffirm that The Black Keys strengths as a band lie in making songs where the guitar is at the forefront of the music.

Turn Blue is a mixed bag with a few brilliant tracks to save it from being completely forgettable. The Black Keys took a risk straying from their signature sound and it mostly backfires. Restrained, melancholy tracks driven by keyboards are simply not their forte. I appreciate their desire to do something different and try to make a more mellow, emotional record, but it rarely succeeds in achieving its goal and mostly comes off as a forced and uneven effort. The Black Keys are a high-energy band with an impeccable ability to write guitar licks, and when you keep both of things caged up for 3/4 of the record, the results are going to be underwhelming.  Turn Blue isn't a death sentence for The Black Keys; just a small blemish in an otherwise pretty impressive discography.

3/5 Stars  
Standout Tracks
1.Weight of Love
2.In Our Prime
3.It's Up to You Now