Picture yourself in a smoky lounge. Large, comfortable couches are scattered haphazardly around the darkened room. A raised dais stands against a wall, lit by a single spotlight – the only bright light in the room. You are only dimly aware of the other patrons, all as focused on the band on stage as you are. There is barely a rustle from the room. Glasses are refilled, unnoticed, as the band plays.
This, my friends, is the picture that Grammy winning sixth album, Brothers, by the Black Keys paints in your mind. The unbridled cool of this band is simply undeniable. It makes you want to start talking in beatnik slang.
From beginning to end, Brothers is a work of art. It glides smoothly from one track to another, taking you on a blissful journey through your own passive mind. The first track, Everlasting Light, gets you in the perfect mood for what's to come – relaxed, at peace, the knowledge of good things in the future settling comfortably in your mind.
I know I'm pushing it a bit here, but Brothers really is like a crisp glass of wine soothing down a Myprodol or two. The happy is all-encompassing.
Tracks like Ten Cent Pistol and Unknown Brother drag you out of your happy stupor into a more Claptonesque area. Still undoubtedly cool, but of a darker kind. The joy, the joy.
The Black Keys are by far not a new thing, having put out six albums since 2002. Brothers, however, is the only album to make much of a stir. That isn't stopping me from plotting a retrospective purchase of everything this blues-rock duo has ever done. Bring on the blues.
For more on the Black Keys visit: www.theblackkeys.com or visit their myspace page at www.myspace.com/theblackkeys
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