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Rating: 5/10
I haven’t consistently listened to the radio in years, but did happen to catch some The Black Keys singles here and there. They were always enjoyable, but not unique enough for me to start buying their albums. They’ve been compared to The White Stripes, and rightfully so, having a minimalist/bluesy feel while also being a two-piece. That bothered me at first though, because The White Stripes hadn’t broke up yet, and I was all “Who do these two guys think they are with their copycatting asses?”.
That being said, The White Stripes aren’t together anymore, so I thought maybe, just maybe, The Black Keys could give me the fix I needed….
The Black Keys soon to be seventh release El Camino, unfortunately, wasn’t the fix I have been looking for. The album is definitely pop-oriented, and has a catchy feel to it, and some killer blues riffs, but its songs are extremely repetitive overall. From the opener and first single “Lonely Boy” to the closing track “Mind Eraser” only one tracks breaks up the monotony. That track is “Little Black Submarines”. It starts off with acoustic guitar and vocals where you can’t help but be reminded of Eric Clapton and/or Paul McCartney. Half way through, the only moment of sweet, sweet tension and release in the entire album happens, and I thought there may be hope after all. There wasn’t. It was back to the formula all of the non-”Little Black Submarines” songs consisted of: a somewhat catchy blues riff with an uninspired yet danceable drum beat coupled with equally somewhat catchy blues vocals all together clocking in at an average of three and one half minutes per song. Every once in a while throw in some hand-claps. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
Overall El Camino is easy to listen to. It doesn’t make you think. It’s mediocre. You won’t notice when it ends, and starts over, but you will find yourself singing along and/or tapping a foot to the beat, whether you want to or not.
Recommended if you enjoy (and I‘m being generous with these comparisons): The White Stripes, Eric Clapton, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Doors
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