On a fundamental level, the two-man band is one of the most constraining paradigms in rock n’ roll. It’s dwarfed by the diversity and lushness of bigger outfits, yet it retains the artistic contention of the group. Caught in this uncomfortable middle ground, The Black Keys infiltrated the music world by embracing a raw and artfully-unpolished style, producing five albums and only briefly straying from their back-to-basics formula by incorporating noted producer Danger Mouse on 2008’s Attack and Release. On Brothers, the duo’s latest, the band drifts from this archetype just enough to keep things interesting, distilling the best of their time-worn blues while managing a modest sense of nuance and sonic growth.
The Keys’ most evident progression can be heard in the breadth of their instrumentation. On first single “Tighten Up,” singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach incorporates an astonishing array of guitar effects, building piles of instrumental fuzz by the song’s end instead of relying on repetitive riffs. On “She’s Long Gone,” drummer Patrick Carney shifts from pummeling to funky, a significant display from a sometimes one-dimensional percussionist.
However, the Keys are at their best when they toe the line between soulful and eerie, an effect largely evoked by Auerbach’s falsetto. On leadoff track “Everlasting Light” the crackling guitars and strained vocals beautifully offset the innocent romanticism of the lyrics, lending the song a mysterious atmosphere. Though “Unknown Brother,” the album’s strongest track, forgoes the falsetto, it achieves a comparable effect by contrasting the loss-tinged vocals with a beautiful melody. On these tracks, the Keys valiantly refuse to be constricted by the size of their band and the parameters of their genre, and what results is a multi-faceted (near) masterpiece.
