IN REVIEW: The Black Keys - "Turn Blue"
Sadly, this isn't the case; in fact, for the remainder of the album, there aren't even all that many chances for Auerbach to really play that thing save for a few outros along the way. In truth, he spends much more time playing bass on this record; for the purposes of their current sonic game plan, four strings are apparently more important than six. This is due in no small part to the involvement of co-producer/co-writer and now pretty much official third man Brian Burton (that's Danger Mouse to you).
Perhaps "involvement" isn't the proper word to describe Burton's role on Turn Blue. It's a little harsh, but I think "takeover" may be more appropriate. Whereas on past efforts (and especially the breakthrough hit Tighten Up in 2010) his contributions were welcome coloring, a compliment to the songs, on this record he's given free range to seep into every element. Between his keyboards, pianos, synths, samples and his echoes, reverbs and other assorted methods of studio trickery, the record doesn't get much of a chance to breathe; if The Black Keys' early records were raw, vibrant and authentic, Turn Blue is the complete and total opposite.
It's not even a case of the producer covering up weaknesses in the songs (although there are some weak songs); the extracurricular stuff on this record is often exasperating and downright jarring at times. It's one thing to go for the '70s soul meets modern electro-rock aesthetic, and it's quite another to needlessly run a gurgling synth under the entirety of an otherwise good song (I'm looking at you, title track). The most garish example on the album is Year in Review; a song that could have drawn a fair comparison to Tighten Up instead gets assaulted with a constant barrage of orchestration and shlocky falsetto background vocals that honestly don't add anything but distraction to the song. There are moments like this all over Turn Blue because this is a record where every song gets this treatment whether it calls for it or not; don't get me wrong, I'm not opposed to the change in musical direction, but other bands (hell, this band included) have incorporated these elements into their music in a complimentary way while here it's done in a way that's overpowering bordering on offensive.
This turn of events wouldn't loom so large if the songs were livelier, but Turn Blue also happens to be The Black Keys' bleakest and most bitter record. There are precious few up-tempo numbers to be had, and even the ones that are don't typically make it all the way through without sinking back into the thick, reverb-soaked muck. Take It's Up To You Now, with its multi-tracked tribal rhythm threatening to allow the band to let loose, only to slash the tempo halfway through. Or Bullet In The Brain, a pleasing foot tapper that gets the double whammy; the song has to bog through over a minute of half-speed sludge before truly arriving, only to get absolutely divebombed by an especially annoying dose of Burton's front-and-centre electronics (Auerbach's guitar, which leads the song live, is relegated off to one side and buried under keyboards here).
When it all works as it should, it's thrilling; too bad that doesn't actually happen save for Weight of Love and the album's last two tracks. In Our Prime starts off in much the same vein as most of the album, but it careens into a thick groove and changes shape as it builds, the keyboards serving the song instead of themselves. And closing track Gotta Get Away is as surprising an end to the record as one could hope for with its summery Stones vibe and earworm-inducing chorus. It's the album's most excitable moment, but it's too little too late.
El Camino was going to be a tough record to follow, and maybe they decided the only way to establish themselves as career minded artists was to bury their ragged blues rock past, forever to be entombed under gloss and glitter until the inevitable "return to basics" record (which might have to come sooner rather than later in this situation). It's noble for a popular band to step outside its comfort zone, but this doesn't even really feel like that as much as an exercise in forced experimentation. Either way it's a failed attempt at progression that might just earn a dubious position as my least favourite Black Keys record. That's not because Turn Blue is an awful record, but because it's awfully disappointing.
May 13, 2014 • Nonesuch
Highlights Weight of Love • Fever • Gotta Get Away
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