The draw of the lo-fi, garage-rock influenced bands of the late 90s (White Stripes) and early aughts (The Black Keys), was the energy they created using sparse instrumentation—just guitar, drums, and vocals. It was an antidote to the funereal bombast of grunge. However, both bands quickly discovered the limitations of the format, and gradually expanded their sounds, which also allowed both bands to evolve their songwriting. The Black Keys, aka, guitarist/vocalist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney, took things in a soul/rhythm and blues direction that culminated in 2014’s Turn Blue, a beautifully trippy album that still managed to hang on to some of the Black Keys’ early musical conciseness.
The Black Keys went on hiatus after that album but have returned with Let’s Rock, which isn’t so much a continuation of True Blue, so much as it’s a survey of their catalog through the lens of their previous work. As the title promises, Let’s Rock is a return to more of a straight-ahead rock sound but it’s not a regression to The Big Come Up, their viscerally rocking 2002 debut. Rather, it’s a revisiting of their previous albums, much like the end of Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, where Pee Wee re-connects with all of the people he met along his journey back to his bicycle.
The album features familiar garage-y tunes, like “Go,” which is 60s rock a la their early work, and “Eagle Birds,” which is a Black Keys-esque blues shuffle. But Let’s Rock doesn’t ignore the less rock-oriented Turn Blue style. “Walk Across the Water” is spacy, with a beautiful chorus and pretty background vocals. It’s an ambitious song that while not a departure from the various Black Keys sounds, feels different, in a good way.
“Shine a Little Light,” is one of the album’s most interesting songs, in that it represents a microcosm of the album. It combines a lot of Black Keys influences into one single song. It’s got elements of funk and soul, along with psychedelic Auerbach guitar. But it also rocks like their early songs. However, the production is full; the track sounds deliberately produced and not like the band just jammed out in front of some mics (all the more impressive given that the album was actually tracked live). “Breaking Down” is the flip side of “Shine,” sounding more like a great modern rock band than the Black Keys. The biggest tell it’s a Black Keys track is the sitar break straight out of a Matthew McConaughey fever dream.
Let’s Rock has the feel of a greatest hits album. It’s not that the Black Keys are cherry-picking their hits and trying to recreate them. Rather, they seem to be fondly looking back on their catalog and using it as a springboard for new music. Consciously or subconsciously, it gives the album a finality, like the band might be preparing to shutter the store. Auerbach and Carney both have busy solo careers, so maybe they wanted to keep things simple and familiar after half a decade apart. However, despite the quality of the songwriting and the performances, there’s something about Let’s Rock that feels like the two are tying up the band and bringing their music full circle. Whatever the intent and the future of the band, Let’s Rock is a solid release that should make fans happy, whether it’s a coda or just their latest record.
One Response
When you say this sounds like a greatest hits album, I agree. All great stuff, no filler. The songs are sequenced perfectly. And it’s a joy to listen to. Every song has it’s own unique hook and carries you along like a great big rock ‘n’ roll wave. I think this is one of those albums that will be underestimated but live on to be a true classic. Let’s Rock, indeed! 10 stars.