The Black Keys--Brothers Review

Artist: The Black Keys
CD title: Brothers
Genre: Alternative (with a bit of a bluesy-ish twist)
How I Got It: Library
Sounds like: Old bands. And sometimes it sounds a little like The White Stripes.
Favorite song: Ten Cent Pistol, Next Girl
Makes you wanna: Dance around and smoke a joint.
Best to listen to: Doing the dishes, or when you're feeling kinda romantic but not really.


I'm going to start this review by saying that I may accidentally steal some lines from The Annoying Hipster That Did Nothing During The Black Keys Show But Talk About The Show. He was annoying, but he had some definite points, and those points were so drilled into me that I'm no longer sure which of the following are my thoughts or his. So thanks man!


The Black Keys are really popular in the alternative music world and even the regular people world right now, and if you listen to Brothers it's easy to see why: These guys are in a league of their own. The Black Keys have no catchy song that screams, "PUT ME ON THE TOP 40 PLZ AND THANKS." No, they rely purely on their musical abilities, which are abundant, lemme tell ya.


Their other major identifier is their sound. Their music sounds old, like maybe some kind of sixties or seventies bluesy rock, and by infusing their music with that style as well as some new style, they become something wholly unique. Are they the only band to think of this? (No seriously are they? I want more like it.)


Favorite song: Ten Cent Pistol and Next Girl


Ten Cent Pistol is just kinda wonderful. It's a cool story about how these people get shot and stuff and the sound of it is just awesome...Not the sound of the story, just the song itself and...oh you know what I mean.


Next Girl tells a story too, though a much more common one: A guy cannot find a decent chick but keeps hooking up with them anyways and regretting it later. This one has a tendency to get stuck in my head a lot (despite the lack of top-40-hook) and I just love the concept behind it.


Yes, did I forget to mention that their lyrics are pretty awesome too?


There are a couple other songs on here that are seriously awesome, but those two are definitely my favorites.


Makes you wanna: Dance around and smoke a joint.


The first couple songs on Brothers are the singles (Tighten Up, Howlin' For You, I Got Mine, etc.) that you've probably already heard, so I need not tell you how dance-able they are.


The rest is much slower though. Not in a bad way but it does not have the same dancey feel. It more makes you wanna chill out and smoke a joint and pretend you're from the seventies or something.


Best to listen to: Doing the dishes, or when you're feeling kinda romantic but not really.


Perfect dishes music, truly. It's easy to get lost in and quite fun, too. It's also good for when you're feeling a bit romantic, but maybe reluctantly slow. (Or, if you're me, this means writing.)


--Jessica