The Black Keys - Your Touch (V2)
2/5
By: Chris Pratt
Blues-rock revivalist twosome The Black Keys return with the lead single from their latest full-length, 'Magic Potion', which (impressively) is their fourth album release since 2002. Not a whole lot has changed since their debut 'The Big Come Up' - well, apart from an ever-expanding fan-base, sold-out shows worldwide and props from the likes of Robert Plant and Thom Yorke. What I mean to say is, these guys sound pretty much the same as they always have.
Dan Auerbach's fuzzed up power chords and hollered vocals still combine well with Patrick Carney's serviceable drum parts, but then again you'd expect them to after more than four years of rehearsing, touring and recording together almost incessantly. 'Your Touch' is a straight-up, mid-paced stomp of the kind that you'd expect to find soundtracking a commercial for bottled American beer - it could've been recorded in the 70's and wouldn't sound any different whatsoever.
That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's very difficult to see where Carney's professed love for "Devo, noise rock and hip hop" enters The Black Keys' set-in-stone musical formula. There have been plenty of fantastic bands who've stuck resolutely to a certain style, but few of them have managed to stretch to four albums without diversifying at least a little. Maybe they should do an Outkast/Hella-style double album experiment featuring a solo effort from each member. Then we could all throw out Auerbach's one and give the drummer a chance to impress us.
Artists in this article: The Black Keys
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