The Black Keys: Brothers

Released 18 May 2010, 'Brothers' is the sixth studio album from the Ohio duo 'The Black Keys (discounting EP's, solo projects and collaborations) and in some respects it is a return to the band's roots. Anyone who is familiar with their recordings will know the gritty delta-blues fuelled noise the pair have been making for years now and for those with a taste for that sound this album doesn't disappoint. However, this album provides a little something more than that.

Since the last Black Keys studio album, a lot has happened to the boys, guitarist and lead singer: Dan Auerbach embarked on a solo project and released the album 'Keep it Hid' which saw him delving into bluegrass and CCR style rock (I may be imagining it but I also detect a little taste of Nick Drake in there too). While Auerbach was off touring his new creation. Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney (presumably suffering from itchy feet) decided to start a little something of his own. This came in the form of the somewhat more lighthearted band 'drummer', a super-group made up of, you guessed it, drummers; all of whom came from bands based in Carney's home state of Ohio.

The pair came back together for the 2009 collaboration project 'Blakroc' which saw an intriguing mixture of the Keys signature blues sound and some big names in Hip Hop and R'n'B (Mos Def, Pharoahe Monch, Q-Tip, ODB and Rza to name but a few). The collaboration was widely well-received by critics and fans of both genres.

Then came the time for another Black Keys album. It is immediately clear from hearing 'Brothers' that the duo have brought something back to the table after their experimentation with other styles and artists, Auerbach's vocal range has notably improved, the album's opening track 'Everlasting Light' is carried through by a sweet falsetto and throughout the record his singing style varies hugely.

(As an aside I had to mention the genius album artwork......does exactly what it says on the tin)

As with previous albums there is the recognisable mix of dirty blues tunes and the more ballad-like, all of them conveying a deep and thorough understanding of the blues. This album will keep those who have enjoyed the bands previous releases happy and could also serve as a way in for those wishing to hear more of the band. In my opinion the best way to fall in love with these guys, should the opportunity arise, is to see them in a small venue. You will be amazed at the size of the sound made by these two men and will immediately want more.

(X/10)Y  = Z 
Where 'Z' = a review score

Valleys of Neptune: Reviewed

It’s been a while since I’ve heard an album about which I simply cannot make up my mind, but Valleys of Neptune is just that. Upon hearing that a disc-full of previously unheard Hendrix material was on the horizon I placed a pre-order without a second thought. What I received, however, was not as straightforward as simply another dip in the glorious waters I knew so well.

On face value VON is incredible. I have been a fan of Hendrix for a long time and had not heard many of the tracks on the album. On my initial play-through I felt the familiar buzz I got on my first hearing of ‘Are You Experienced’ here was the great man delving into yet more strange and unusual territory and giving his very unique take on the blues, it took awhile to get over my own prejudice: as far as I was aware Jimi had a midas touch when it came to music. I don't believe this album is an instant classic by any means but it does have a few gems.

It is hard to be critical of an album made up of what are essentially bootlegs, outtakes and jams but......it's Hendrix! so the gloves came off.

There are some highlights to be heard: the instrumental cover of Cream’s ’Sunshine of your Love’ is breathtaking and I defy anyone to listen to ‘Mr Bad Luck’ or 'Hear My Train A Comin' without a smile on their face. The re-workings of classics such as ‘Red House’ and ‘Fire' simply pale in comparison to the originals, however and there just seems little point in including them. The opening track of the album is another reworking, an alternative rendition of 'Stone Free' which I believe is the only classic song on the album on a par to the original.

On the whole the album does offer a decent mix of songs, some of which are outstanding, some less so, but all convey the magic fans are familiar with. As long as the listener doesn't approach it as a 'new' album and takes it for exactly what it is: an small taste of where the man was going, what might have been. It can become quite a poignant reminder of a talent stolen far too early.

There will be obsessive Hendrix completionists out there who will undoubtedly want this album to take pride of place in their collections, however the majority of the new tracks have already been excavated by such people and those of us who have 'experienced' Hendrix (pun intended) will get some enjoyment from the album's highlights but will, i feel, ultimately return to the more established albums to quench that thirst when it arises. I therefore struggle to see where the target audience lies.

Should anyone who is new to the world of Hendrix be considering purchasing this album as an introduction I advise, nay, INSIST that they do not. Start with ‘Are You Experienced’, 'Electric Ladyland' or at the very least one of the Greatest Hits collections knocking about and fall in love as so many of us have in the past.

As I finish writing this 'Sunshine of Your Love' is playing again and I am reminded of just why this man's reputation has endured through the decades.

Come as They Were

It is often said that history repeats itself and the history of modern music is no exception. The 21st century has so far seen revivals of the classic rock of the 60's and 70's, jazz, blues, soul, folk and punk to name but a few.

Recently there has been a resurrected interest in the metal scene of around 20 years ago. Bands like The Darkness and Steel Panther with their screaming lead guitars and wailing falsetto voices singing of conquests and debauchery, regaling the audience with stories of lives dreamed of by many but lived by few.

At the end of the 80's the disenfranchised youths of Seattle developed into a somewhat inbred subculture and, armed with little more than budget guitars and bucket-loads of angst, began to wage war on popular music. With Sub-Pop records being their base of operations bands such as Mudhoney, Soundgarden and, of course, Nirvana soon began to gain popularity (thanks, I might add, to the support of the British musical press) and the characteristic 'seattle sound' began to spread like the plague.

It wasn't long before the kids of the world turned to this new phenomena and Grunge was accepted into the global scene. Here was music they could play themselves, artists who perfectly expressed how they were feeling and in a way they could relate to. The Grunge movement was born and it wasn't long before seemingly everyone had that naked baby in their music collection.

In the years since it's conception grunge has continued to be a marked influence on alternative music in one way or another. Be it explicitly in the sounds created or less obviously in the processes, fashions or attitudes of artists. It is difficult to imagine what the musical landscape would have been like without grunge (and of course it's similarly anti-conventional predecessors).

It seems that a Grunge revival is almost inevitable in the current climate. Music has once again become a relatively exclusive club, young people are as angry as ever, fashion and celebrity have continued to homogenise our society and of course, the older generations would hate it.

Over recent years we have seen reunions from some of Grunge's titans. Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots and Smashing Pumpkins have all either produced new albums or are working on new material while Soundgarden have announced they will be reforming. Some bands, such as Mudhoney and Pearl Jam never really went away in the first place.

Perhaps this renewed dominance of the archetypal Seattle bands will be the spark that is needed, or maybe the apathy of the young will be all that is required, whichever route we take I believe we haven't heard the last of the big G....

.....and I, for one, am glad.