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The Black Keys

Thickfreakness

Fat Possum | 2003 | Album

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The Black Keys debut release “The Big Come Up” was a kick the door down kind of entrance onto the music scene. Few bands had ever managed to sound so tight and so raw so very early in their career. Fewer bands still had ever managed to show as much soul at any point in their career let alone album number 1. For a two-man operation it was simply unheard of. “The Big Come Up” is easily one of the best rock albums to come out of the last 20 years. The band’s follow up album on Fat Possum records “Thickfreakness” is superior in every imaginable way.

The title starts with a moment of guitar fuzz, creeping up into the crashing drums and pounding guitar lines. Dan Auerbach’s voice has only gotten better with a Wilson Picket like understanding of performance and soul. Patrick Carney’s drums compliment the other half of the band perfectly blending into each song, but never letting us forget his presence. The band in general seems much more comfortable in the studio and thus we are given a powerful set of 11 new songs. Think Hound Dog Taylor and the Houserockers, think The Animals, think how much you’re going to enjoy this album and go out and buy it right now dammit!

Again we’ve got a Junior Kimbrough cover with “Everywhere I Go” and a great rendition of “Have Love Will Travel” by Richard Berry. The music is still foot stompin’ soul drowning good, but there’s more of a range to it. Tracks like “Hurt Like Mine” and “I Cry Alone” are a nice change of pace to help the album take you up and down a bit.

“No Trust” has that 1950’s knife fight and black leather jacket feel to it. I can’t help thinking about an impossibly young Van Morrison screaming out “G-L-O-R-I-A” and realize that while the Black Keys play a style of music that’s not exactly up with the times, it’s nonetheless familiar to all of us. It is the kind of album that gives us everything we could ever need from a rock/blues band; overdriven guitars with great hooks, thundering drums, that move you whether you want to move or not, a rough and gritty voice with unquestionable soul and the desire to do nothing but create great music. If The Black Keys continue this trend Kevchino is going to have to revise the rating structure because “this one goes to 11.”

King Morgan