IN REVIEW: The Arcs - "Yours, Dreamily"

Since their slow rise to prominence about five years back, people seemed to be wondering when The Black Keys' luck would run out. Their career may be far from over, but last year's disappointing Turn Blue certainly seemed to slow their momentum. A bold reconstruction of their core sound that failed to achieve the heights it aspired to, that album was too drastic a sidestep for many fans of their bombastic blues rock to handle. So much of Turn Blue's experiments were overblown, diminishing the heart of the songs and rendering the record more a notch for producer Danger Mouse's bedpost than a Black Keys album proper.

That The Arcs' debut record (once pegged as Dan Auerbach's second solo record, though it turned out having a much more collaborative lean than 2009's Keep It Hid) goes even further out speaks to a mutual desire between Auerbach and Danger Mouse to push boundaries rather than the forced experimentation I perceived Turn Blue to be. Even without Danger Mouse at the boards (Auerbach self-produces Yours, Dreamily with assistance from collaborator Leon Michels), there's a restless exploratory streak running through this record. The major difference between Yours, Dreamily and Turn Blue, however, is that the former seems naturally curious where the latter had the same shtick forced upon the entirety of the album, whether it was of benefit or detriment to the songs.

So as to say Yours, Dreamily has by and large weirder sounding songs, but the weirdness serves the aesthetic and adds to the songs' dynamics instead of just being layered on top of them. Take, for instance, the fuzzy psych and scrappy jazz/soul that backdrop single Put a Flower in Your Pocket, which isn't afraid to go off the rails a bit but the core of the song is never shaken out of place. Its sparse acoustic bridge (with just a little synth bubbling underneath) sets up for a big last chorus that hits harder in the wake of restraint, letting the song do its damage without undue trickery.

Pistol Made of Bones would have been a standout on Turn Blue, its soulful Stonesy swagger giving way to a fully fleshed out stunner complete with Spanish guitar solo, mariachi horns and background yelps. Then, there's the thick groove of Cold Companion, which sounds like something Neil Young may have collaborated with Fleetwood Mac on in 1975. Throw in the countrified slow jam album closer Searching the Blue, and you've got a trio of songs that cover more sonic ground than most of Turn Blue without overwhelming or bewildering the listener.

Of course, we should talk about Outta My Mind, as close to a real hit as this record is bound to have; it's easy to see the single appeal in this one, as it most effectively recalls The Black Keys' recent material while simultaneously bearing the odd hallmarks of the rest of the record. It reminds you of Auerbach's best material even while it really doesn't sound all that much like it when you factor in all the extracurricular sounds, and that's a damned impressive feat.

The album's second half sees a pretty dramatic spike in experimentation for the most part; bookended by the fuzzy boogie of The Arc and the previously mentioned closer Searching the Blue, the B-side contains arguably the wackiest 17 minutes Auerbach's ever put to record. There aren't many stones left unturned here; the new wave, synth-heavy Nature's Child, the flute-infused Velvet Ditch, the '70s movie theme hopeful Chains of Love, the swinging and salacious Come & Go and the twisted soul of Rosie Ooh La La are a diverse batch of songs that have their moments but are ultimately more notable for their stylistic deviations than their creative merits.

Still, this is a very dynamic record that delivers a rewarding listening experience. Sure, it's a little uneven, but that's to be expected with so much ground covered. Yours, Dreamily won't peak much interest among stubborn old school Black Keys fans clamoring for another Rubber Factory, but its songs and production are strong enough to earn Yours, Dreamily a recommendation for anyone who wants to hear a fairer representation of what I presume Dan Auerbach may have been aiming for on Turn Blue.

September 4, 2015 • Nonesuch/Warner

Highlights Put a Flower in Your Pocket • Pistol Made of Bones • Outta My Mind