[4/10]
Have The Black Keys sold their souls to become an uninspiring Franz Ferdinand-MGMT hybrid? Sounds like it. Following the success of the multi grammy award winning El Camino, The Black Keys have a lot to live up to with the release of their new album Turn Blue, and if the first single ‘Fever’ is anything to go by, then we can ascertain that the boys are off to a fairly disappointing start. The familiar, proverbial beats and rhythms we know and love are littered with cheap-sounding synths and a pretty disconcerting lack of guitar leads. The track carries some fairly uninspiring lyrics and probably won’t be one of those songs you’ll find yourself screeching to at all hours of the day. On the other hand, the track maintains a nice bass throughout and Dan Auerbach’s vocals are as distinctively bold and compelling as they have always been. Suffice to say, ‘Fever’ doesn’t seem like it’s going to be regarded as a standout track in The Black Keys’s musical canon and with any luck, the track won’t be an accurate reflection of what’s to come on the rest of the album.
Turn Blue is out May 13th
Gabriela Quattromini
