Brothers

Fine. Bit samey

I'm supposed to like this because I know so many other folks that do and have similar tastes to me, but every time I try with The Black Keys I come away thinking it was fine.

They sound like shit to me bro 😭 1.5 stars

the kind of music that gets worse the closer you listen to it Fav song: Never Gonna Give You Up

Some good songs but not an amazing album in my opinion . I like the big riffs and melodies but nothing groundbreaking

5/10

Meh. Every song is very samey. I really really liked the older Black Keys stuff like Attack & Release, but I feel like this album was the turning point when they pulled a "Kings of Leon" and watered down the rawness of their sound and became too bland.

When I listen to some random underwhelming English band on this list, I assume they must have been really popular and significant in the UK. I really hope English people don’t think this about the black keys in the US when they see this utterly forgettable album. I promise, no one has ever cared about the black keys.

There are better Black Keys albums and I’m not convinced I need to listen to them before I die, never mind this one.

booooo

I really struggled to see the point of this album. There's a point where having retro influences becomes a pastiche, and this crosses that line in places. Besides that, it's just so generic. It wore me down.

Haha funny cover. I've heard their album from 2011 with the car on it, "Gold on the ceiling", and it was cool to listen to another one of their albums. Lots of instrumental parts. I kept waiting for the songs to build or have exciting parts, but they all felt boring and repetitive. None of the lyrics stood out to me, and the voice he sung in wasn't my favorite. It was fine to listen to once, but I don't need to hear it again. 3/10

Just ok. Starts off good with some bluesy guitar rock, but gets a little tedious as the album goes on.

ugh

A bit repetitive album + not really my style

I mean no. 2/5

kedelig. Genren er ok, men udførelsen ligegyldig.

If it was a bit shorter I would view it more favorably, as is the hour runtime felt excessive. It's a decent throwback sound but overstays its welcome.

i think the best way i can describe this is generic. it honestly sounds good at times (because danger mouse is goated) but idk why this is on this list honestly.

Day 20 First listen- I zoned out a lot while listening and the tracks did not feel very memorable so its a 2.5/5 for now.

It was alright. A band whose music I've heard over the years which mostly includes the hit Howlin for You, a song that is probably on most 2010s indie playlists. Haven't got that many 21st Century albums yet on here but this is just alright.

Their sixth album. 21st century Blues ? I guess. Very good production. Howlin' For You is a decent track. The album is pretty bloated. Twenty one tracks for one hour and seventeen minutes. When does repetition become dogma? This is all very samey. I am bobbing my head along now and then but it isn't really grabbing me, musically or lyrically.

this feels so stuck in the 2010s it's just not it

Idk I think it would’ve been better with more distortion

Disappointing This album irritates with distortion so overused as to be pointless, percussion so repetitive and persistent that it annoys. I love the blues, but the majority of these lyrics are too trite (like the tritest songs on a Tarantino soundtrack) to be believable or felt. She’s Long Gone The first song of lyrical interest. A welcome shift from the plain and emotionless lyrical offerings of the first four songs on the album. Black Mud An instrumental interlude offering a nice break from the distorted vocals of the album’s opening. Works as a transition piece into the mellowness of The Only One. The Go Getter This one works: nice movement and a unique setting that the band’s sound accentuates meaningfully. Fresh California narrator in a song that knows its bluesy roots. Worth a listen. Never Gonna Give You Up Stands out too much, as it’s far more melodically interesting than the rest of the album. Doesn’t work in this setting, and it’s an unnecessary cover of the outstanding, heartfelt, and vocally masterful original by Jerry Butler. The Days If this kind of song is what The Black Keys are capable of, I’m interested in giving more of their albums a listen. Nice and devastating with moving, genuine lyrics that speak of lived experience. This conclusion showcases the vocalists’s ability to craft blues emotion in a felt and mature performance; also offers balanced instrumental production. I had higher hopes for this one.

2.5

Just Ok. 2/5

Y otra más. Se me cortó la diarrea.

The black what? Less than the black...

awful. get away from me

I like some of the Black Keys songs but this album was interminable and I was relieved when it finished, which isn’t really what you want is it.

Not bad; not my favorite. Derivative and repetitive, but not as offensive as some other white ppl blues we are subjected to. Better just to listen to actual blues.

none of the songs really stood out to me and they all sort of sounded the same. the album kept reminding me of something else which annoyed me

It's so boring, man.

Not my style, overplayed during childhood

I liked it pretty well when it dropped but I found revisiting it to be kind of a slog outside of a few highlights.

Listening to one track or two is fine but after that it all sounds a little similar.

Not as good as there other stuff. A bit tired and samey with too many blues tropes.

Good lyrics interesting but I just don’t really like it

Love the sound...dirgey and swampy but gets monotonous.sinister Kid wad the standout for me. 2.5 stars

It started well - some wonderful moments and then I was willing it to deviate. Would be a sweet EP - 5 tracks would have been bliss… 18 is a bit silly

Irritating, repetitive noise that seems to larp as blues. OK if you say so. I will try not to hold other blues musicians responsible for your trangessions. At least I managed to listen to all 18 tracks so that must mean ... not very much.

Ok at first but gets so repetitive as the album goes. I didn’t hate it but I just was wishing for it to be over about half way through.

I’d like this more if I didn’t associate it with sandy bonnaroo sunscreen

Generic

While I admire the two-man show, it doesn't translate well to a studio record. Listening to these songs without the live and bluesy energy they deserve makes the records feel meandering and slow. Tighten Up and Howling for You are solid cuts that are over too soon on a nearly hour long record. Nothing else is tuneful and memorable. Its just reruns of old Cream and Blind Faith riffs.

Car commercial music

Bland like magnolia paint

This is a boring album by The Black Keys. If Jack white is derivative, I’m not sure what to call this. Tighten up and howlin for you get it done. The rest, maybe I would like it more if xl102 shoved it down my throat too. Just a really boring hour of my life where nothing really stood out except the songs I was familiar with but even on those the context of the album made me wonder if those are even good. Take this 2, Dan.

Didn’t age well

Meh

Skulle tru en bluesmann som meg liker svarte tangenter, men fikk endelig bruk for doisern!!

Litt for monotont og flinkis

Dette er litt kjedelig.

Boring and repetitive.

I perked up at Ten Cent Pistol but I can't see what sets this apart from other (and better, imo) blues-rock acts. Vocals are particularly dull.

I used to really like these guys

there was a time when I really wanted to be into the Black Keys. It passed.

Indie rock, soul/rnb inspired vocals. Bluesy guitar lines. Funky influence too, wah and fuzz heavy tracks etc. Slower tempo with big basslines remind me of White Stripes. Not very exciting for me. Best track - Black Mud?

This certainly is an album.... By the Black Keys.... called Brothers. I keep confusing them with The Black Eyed Peas. It's Ok, but God, all it makes me wanna do is listen to Jimi Hendrix, or the Rolling Stones, or one of the hundreds of better Blues Rock albums that came before it. You'd think in the about 70 years since it's peak, The Keys could find something to "modernize" or do anything interesting with the Blues Genre, but there is little that really makes the album stand out or feel worth it. This isn't a project that tried something interesting and failed, It just feels so middle of the road and basic. There isn't too much wrong with it or anything, there's just little that it does right either. 4/10

21/11/2024 - 04/05/2025

Enjoyable listen. Lots of song blended together. Some were better than others Highlights: Next Girl, Too Afraid to Love You Unlikely to return.

I've never knowingly listened to The Black Keys, and yet I know some of these songs. It sounds like background music or car commercial music. It does not elicit strong emotions one way or another. Music for the masses! There is no heart here. Way too much college boy cosplay for me to add this to my collection.

didn't finish

2.5

Never been a fan of this band. Still not a fan. Feels very samey, very safe and there's nothing particularly that stands out. It's competent but bland 2 stars

Wack

The first 3 or 4 songs I was familiar with, but then I got bored. And getting bored so easily and so early in a 15 song album is not good. This is the most solid 2.5 star I've ever given.

I would rate this album a 2/5 stars. It had some solid tracks and I definitely felt an overall theme, but it didn't stand out to me as anything particularly special or impactful. I would have liked there to be a bit more variety in the pacing of certain songs.

absolute ass

It's ok. Never been grabbed by the singles before (in fact they have always slightly annoyed me) and the album did nothing to convert me. However some of the tracks were ok.

never listened to them before - on this outing, will not again found it quite flat, nothing sharp about it

Mid

Not enjoyable at all. Terrible squealing guitar that sounds like it can’t decide between being a harmonica, a keyboard, or a guitar. And the music itself is repetitive. Doesn’t sound good to the ear. Not memorable.

Older Black Keys is at least interesting...this stuff is just sterile crap. 1.5/5

slight;y less than ok. couple of good tracks. Hopefully this isn't a sign of the 1000 other albums to hear.

Nah bro gib mir wieder die ganzen brecher wie vor zwei wochen

How considerate of them to make an album just for all the Volkswagen PR team members of the world <3

está medio bien, pero no estaba muy en el mood.

im being stalked good

Pretentiöst dravel.

Car commercial-core to the max. The singles are pretty cool but everything else is just mush in my mind. Favorite Tracks: Tighten Up, Howling For You 2.5/5

2 - Album is a weak version of white man blues. Not the best album from this band imo.

good one

It's a 3 star album or higher if they didn't make it over an hour long. I also could not find this in anything other than Deluxe or remastered. State of the industry and all.

Car commercial songs + some fillers. Nothing exciting.

Cosplaying as Delta Blues. This album is both unoriginal and uninteresting. Annoyingly, it manages to bring itself down even further by the excessive use of fuzz.

So I generally don't like this band whenever I've heard them. I find their music quite bland and safe and generally boring. Never listened to a full album by them, maybe I can be turned around. Everlasting Light. Annoying vocals. Sluggish. Compressed. Goes nowhere interesting, you've heard one minute you've heard the entire song. Don't like. 2/5 Next Girl Call and response sets a dreary atmosphere. Pseudo blues writing does in my opinion not work with the singers vocal style, comes across as performative. Weird chorus. Average. 2.5/5 Tighten Up Slightly overplayed. Fifa soundtrack-core Vocals are fine. Guitar plays some nice licks. A nothing instrumental bridge. Clean production. Switchup gives the song another dimension. Fine. 3/5 Howlin' for you Sounds like a car commercial. Is that a kazoo? rarely a good idea. Distracting whatever that is. Ruins the song. MY RIGHT EAR WTF. One dimensional song outside of that. Boring solo. Nearly unlistenable. 1.2/5 She's long gone Cool rhythm. Lyrics are kinda dumb. Don't mind the bass on the song. Mosquito-like guitar just doesn't sound good. Meh. 2.5/5 Black Mud Opens with a decent bass line. Psychedelic elements are a nice surprise. Wish the drums had more punch to them. Decent. 3/5 The Only One Synth organ sounds like a carnival ride. Adds a psychedelic element to the verse. Less tight, more spacious gives a more pop vibe. Works surprisingly well. Wish there was some diversity in the verses. The bass could be more prominent, a bit muted. Like it. 4/5 Too Afraid to Love You Cool change in instrumentation. Could be a cool hip hop beat. Singing does not come across as soulful in the slightest if that's the intention. Sounds unfocused. Fine. 3/5 Ten Cent Pistol Weak opening. Sounds kinda flat. They're playing their instruments well. Chorus works. Fine 3/5 Sinister Kid I see the potential from how the track opens. Verse kinda sucks. Chorus does a decent job being engaging. Cliche lyrics. Fine. 3.2/5 The Go Getter The instrumentation here is multilayered and fun. Stomp stomp clap on the chorus is too much. Chorus kinda brings down the energy of the track, my interest in the track disappears into the void when it comes around. Sometimes maybe good, sometimes maybe shit. 2.8/5 I'm not the One Feel like I've heard this exact verse like 5 times this album. If you're not enamoured with the singers voice this track provides nothing for you to latch onto. Teases a buildup then leads into nothing. Not worth commenting on the lyrics. Offensively forgettable. 1.5/5 Unknown Brother Sentimental sounding. Sweet lyrics. Triumphant. Not much to say sonically, but can't hate a track about someone's dead relative. Nice guitar licks. Solid. 3.5/5 Never Gonna Give You Up Not the Rick Astley song :( The "horns" are distracting. Appreciate the change in instrumentation. Think this song should've gone for more risks. There's a bunch of potential for a bright fun track, but feels too muted to be anything notable. Forgetable. 2.5/5 These Days Slow and earnest. Love how the lyrics are written. The delay on the guitars works well with the slower structure. Quite a sad and retrospective track. Good closer Enjoyable 3.5/5 Bonus tracks Chop and Change Not much to discuss. The female background vocals add an additional layer to the song. Average. 2.5/5 Keep My Name Outta Your Mouth Bassline does a lot of work. The compressed vocals make it hard to hear what he's singing at points. Flute sample is catchy. Some nice distortion. Fine. 3/5 Black Mud Part II Continues where the last part left off. See above. Unecessary. 2.5/5 Competently executed, just not really ny thing. Honestly found it boring for the most part, though it had some moments I thoroughly enjoyed. Fave track. The Only One Least Fave track. Howlin' for You

Mid

I didn't really get the hype back in tumblr days when this came out. I don't really get the hype now. The album does have a cohesive sound which is nice. 2.5 rounded down bc I'm cranky

Besides a couple of hit songs. It was alright. Alt rock is really hot or miss with me.

One of the more unique sounds that I have heard. I really like the vocal distortion and the driving Blues feel. That being said, all songs sound pretty similar and the overall musicallity is a bit bland. 4/10

I feel like this album doesn't belong on this list.

If I was asked to described middle of the road, this would probably be it. The sound is fine just entirely unremarkable.

As dull as dishwater

fangede mig ikke så meget

after listening to one song on the album you've listened to them all. It lacks any heart or soul. It's perfect advertisement music, I was getting visons of Toyota's and Nissan's booking it through remote desert landscapes.

Learned a few songs that I actually liked on this album.

Nicht komplett gehört, aber ganz gut hier und da.

I probably lost interest in the Black Keys about three or four albums in. I can see that remains the case.

I didnt relisten but I lived through the 2010s so I have heard this more times than anyone should before I die.

Hated the first few songs. Everlasting light was sung so wispily and I thought the instrumentals sounded like random objects you’d find in a garage. Also tin can vocals and muffled. But it got better. The only one is pretty good, it’s a chill song. Too afraid to love you is also good. I like the swingy melody. Hate the go getter - it just sounds so flat. Several songs I just TOTALLY tuned out accidentally as background music. Whoops. But not the worst, really.

Never really liked it then and still don’t. Kinda just fake rock?

I just don’t love the songs.

Hm. Not as good as I remembered. A couple of good, psychedelic slow songs in the middle. The rest feels dated and mediocre. 15 songs is too long as well. Shame.

Was alright

Обложка нравится, а с музлом уже посложнее

This is definitely a Black Keys album, I’m not really sure what more there is to say about it. It’s sort of a disappointing departure from their earlier lofi stuff that was a little more aggressive and varying. This album really suffers from an overarching sameness that really makes me not what to listen to it. Every song sounds so similar that it’s a struggle to tell them apart. It’s not that the music is bad, it’s a cool funky blues sound with lots of fuzz, but it’s just so monotonous. I don’t really dislike this album, but I also don’t feel it needs to exist as more than just a couple decent singles. 2*

Bored me, really.

Is the cover art some kind of take-off of the Howlin' Wolf album? Very gauche. And yeah, this is slop. Then only 'brothers' I give a hoot about are the Cate Brothers, baby - give them boys a listen to if you want a smooth old time of it.

Some songs are solid but I really don't think this should be on this list. I think people can and will live without listening to this.

How do you write an album this long and have every song sound the same? It’s all so thumpy and mid-tempo. Also, got very tired of the “retro” vocal effect after the 2nd song.

Radio "blues" I remember really liking this as a teenager but it just has no soul or flavour. Mayonnaise

meh

Groupe inconnu. Leur musique n'est pas désagréable, mais est très répétitive et très peu originale (blues rock mou, mais sans les chorus), je me suis lassé assez vite. Je n'y reviendrais pas. =>2/5

boring

Hmmmm not the best - mediocre

pretty forgettable album.

Blues vaporwave - music is fine but as inoffensive as a ham and cheese sandwich. Proof things can be less than the sum of their parts.

The blues is there for the taking and I'm all for reusing it's tropes—frankly it's hard NOT to—but there's one too many lazy lyrical cliches here for me. The Cramps and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion do it better than this. Not to mention RL Burnside. Jack and Meg probably do it with more conviction too. I've only ever heard songs from this record in snippets and on truck commercials but I do like it more than I thought I would. Also, Black Sabbath, Black Flag, Black Crowes, Black Star, and Black Lips are all better.

Blues rock bore off

Bluesrock. Slicker than the White Stripes. Also much less interesting.

Never heard of them before. Not bad. Forgettable. 5/10

3 good tracks out of 16, and more than half of those are so repetitive they could have been one or two long songs. Easily could have died without listening to most of it.

2.5. It’s Tighten Up and an hour or so of other stuff that sounds the same.

Meh?

it's like someone grabbed a Fleetwood Mac karaoke album and then stripped all the character out of it before adding in boring vocals?

So bland and inoffensive it's torturous.

Listened a few times but this style of blues rock passes me by and soon didn't get too much out of it.

No es lo mio

I enjoyed the first half of this album but it's not a stand out at all and it's way way too long.

I don’t know why but I was expecting something a bit more alive and edgier. Every song seemed to sound the same and it didn’t take long to start getting bored with it.

Expected to like this more than I did, but it seemed so plodding and samey all the way through.

Didn't like it, but didn't hate it either.

2.4

I quite liked Never Gonna Give You Up but it's not the song I'll be thinking of when I hear that name. Apart from it nothing really stood out

Crazy how these guys have this amount of plays on their songs and I have somehow never heard a single one of these once before Probably for the better, given how much I liked them

Inoffensive, but not bringing anything new, just playing very old blues and marrying it to 60s rock (think The Rolling Stones) and 70s soul sensibilities. Feels like it should have appeared in episodes of LUTHER. Doesn't have a wide enough scope to be in a Bond film, but could saunter into a Guy Ritchie picture. Not bad, but nothing that reveals anything new in the genre. Nothing played or performed that makes me feel like that could only come from The Black Keys. I wish they put something of themselves in that was uniquely their own sound instead of trying to carbon copy others.

Not my cup of tea

meh

I didn't care for this.

Wasn’t the worst. Wasn’t the best. Liked a few & didn’t necessarily hate any, high 2 seems reasonable

Blues for the suburbs. If that's your thing, you'll like this.

- the black keys were my shit when i was like 8 and the only music i listened to was whatever my dad put on my ipod - but now? eh i kind of just feel like im listening to the radio - which is fine, i guess - but im not gonna seek out any of these songs after this - i got really bored really fast. don't know if listening to a whole album in one sitting is the best way to listen to the black keys. but i wouldn't know, i don't listen to the black keys. - oh well! hope tomorrow's is more fun.

To preface this review I really need a bit of sleep, but because I’m doing the daily thing I will put this album on and judge the songs on how good they are at keeping me awake. I’ve only heard two songs previously from the band ”Lonely boy” and ”gold on the ceiling” both of which I feel were playing it very safe just to get on the radio. So I’m not optimistic I’ll make it through the whole thing but I’ll be hoping for an oasis situation where the album previous to the big one is the masterpiece. Everlasting light: I really like the overall sound but the song doesn’t keep me interested, it just feels like the intro prolonged into the entire song. By the end of it I’m already closing my eyes 5/10. Next Girl: Basic rock tune the sort I’ve gotten used to and without lyrics to compensate. By this point I’m really only kept awake by my writing 3/10. Tighten up: It’s not extraordinary in anyway but fun and a bit more to it than the others so far. I’ve gotta say it woke me up a bit 6/10. Howlin for you: I have the same critique I had for the first song and even a bit worse since it’s not as catchy. I’m only still awake because I have the last song’s ending in my mind 4/10. She’s long gone: It feels like I’m going in circles at this point, this is like the second song. Nothing I really like about it and I’m now ever so close to dozing off 3/10. Black mud: Pretty good track. I tend not to rate instrumentals though since there’s not much go on. I can say however that it made me more enthusiastic about continuing. The Only One: Fine song, but nothing special, doesn’t tire me though 6/10. Too Afraid to Love You: it’s just OK 5/10. Ten Cent Pistol: I feel I’m falling in a pattern here I like them but I don’t love them. It may be because i’m now quite tired and tired of the album as a whole but that’s a fair to critique to make because nothing is truly standing out 6/10. Sinister Kid: Second half kept me up but as a whole just not that great 6/10. The Go Getter: I’m kind of bored by this point, figured I would make myself a coffee to finish it but have no motivation to 6/10. I’m not the one: Slow, boring and most likely filler 4/10 Unknown Brother: The album really doesn’t have to go on for as long as it does… but this was cd times so I guess that was preferred 5/10 Never gonna give you up: Change in sound very well done, kept me interested 8/10 These Days: Just an outro song, probably only made because they wanted to put it at the end. I’ve heard a dozen like it. It was a pretty good sedative at least 2/10. zzz zzz zzz…

monotonous, uninteresting, lacks some kick and energy + no charisma in the vocals

ZzzZzz. Kedelige sange og irriterende stemme. Baggrundsmusik til en irriterende craft beer bar i 2011

Great music for selling beer and cars. Minus one star for that. Liked songs added: - Tighten Up - Sinister Kid

Mid lol

21st Century vanilla flavoured blues and soul simulacrum. If The White Stripes are too Bohemian and Two Gallants too junior murder ballad. There's nothing really wrong with it but there's nothing really right either. Or maybe I'm just too old for these younger white guy's version of old music.

It’s just sort of alright. I think it feels pretty samey and tame, I wish it either just rocked harder or lightened up and did something more airy. Where it sits just feels boring.

Car commercial SHLOCK. Was decent at the time but now all I picture for this one is millenials with mustache tattoos, or ads telling me about a 0% APR financing special I could get on a new Hyundai

Jeez, I’m glad that’s over. I mean I really like The White Stripes, you just have to look at my summary. But this lot just leave me cold and I’m not sure I can articulate why. There’s not a lot of passion there, it’s kind of soulless, and in the end all merges in to one. I was willing it to be over. Dull

This album is essentially one long song but at least its an ok-ish song. After listening to this album if anybody ever asks you "Hey have you heard this Black Keys song called-" You can just cut them off and say yes.

The black keys should not be on this list. And if they were they should be on this list with El Camino

Not a fan at all. The voice doesn’t work for me. I like the instrumentals but the voice comes on and I drift off and not in a good way. Only a couple of songs I liked, the rest I felt nothing for.

Enjoyed. Blues rock ish? I’m not good at reviewing ! But I listened to it on the way to work and I didn’t turn it off.

2.5☆/5 07.20.2024

Generic blues rock, thought El Camino was better.

its eh. none of the songs really stood out to me. cool blues rock i guess but it felt so samey. not sure why this is on the list because of that. the middle especially just blended into each other and made it pretty boring to sit through. it really feels like most of these can fit in a truck commercial, and i dont mean that in a good way. id give it a 2.5 but probably wouldnt bump it to a 3 since i didnt enjoy the listen. 2 personal favs: everlasting light

Meh, it's ok It kinda feels like blues for people who don't like blues music; pop blues.

Like a totally solid indie/blues rock album that I wouldn’t ever turn off if I hear it on the radio. But there were no big highlights for me, it’s really samey, and kinda reeks of 2010s commercial indie music lol. 5/10

Pablum. Blues without much soul. Sounds like the soundtrack to mediocre TV. Not terrible, but fluffy and overlong.

Bluesy soft rock riffs. One key mostly. Ok. A bit funky. Affected vocals. But gimmicky. 5.5 out of 10

Mid

Not my vibe

Didn’t much care for this. Disliked the vocals, the songs were so-so at beast.

Halfway through the album and I find myself jumping through the songs. too many songs sounds almost exactly the same. Jeremy Renner loved this album I bet

Quite boring

2,5

Long, repetitive and ultimately I got bored

Throwback soul/blues-rock is fine, but this kind of falls into a weird in-between where it sounds like music for a car commercial. Grab your Sunny D and head to the beach.

# 245 : I don't love it. I don't hate it, it is ok but it's not particularly exciting and doesn't have anything catchy enough to make me want to give it a second listen. I feel like sometimes this list mistakes "you must listen to this ALBUM before you die" with "Hey this was popular during 20xx, or had a couple hits on it" with importance.

The Black Keys make the occasional banger but even the bangers sound the same. Pretty boring and not one I'll come back to.

Feeling weird about his one. On the one hand I really like all the styes it seems to borrow from; soul, blues, punk, garage. On the other, something seems off. I want to call it contrived, but that doesn't seem entirely fair. I didn't find anything off-putting about it, just didn't find a single thing that really got me excited about listening to it. If I wanted to hear this style of music there are far better options that if I had to guess, were probably this band's inspiration.

Eh

65/100 Favourite Song: Tighten Up

Hard to think of what to say about this one. It’s that soft indie rock I feel neutral about. Eeh

This all just sounded like the home depot soundtrack. do not like

Synes lyden er rigtig fed, men sangene var ret forgettable. Garage rock revival plader skal ikke være længere end 40 minutter!! [Bemærk: jeg havde aldrig en black keys fase i gymnasiet, ville ellers have været ret in character for mig]

Instrumentals aight, not a big fan of the vocals

In 2010, I was back of for the summer from college. A few of my friends went to an amusement park and one of my friends brought one of her friends. In retrospect, that gal was almost certainly gay, but that didn't stop me from developing a crush on her immediately. While we were there, Tighten Up came on and she told me how much she loves that song. I wanted to seem cool so instead of admitting to not really knowing The Black Keys, I said "Oh yeah. Have you heard their latest album? It's awesome!". Which is the story of how I went home and listed to the album named Brothers multiple times so I wouldn't embarrass myself further the next time I saw her. Much like that pathetic attempt at seduction, this album is dead on arrival. Vapid, boring, and repetitive. It can be fine as some background music, but not really an album to listen to before I die.

Almost as boring as modern rock can get. Not sure how these guys get a pass but Nickelback has been hated forever. Just generic classic rock with absolutely no edge whatsoever. These guys have hints of glory for a minute in each hour of music they produce - which is a terrible ROI. Yeah I'd like to listen to this over some other albums on this list just given the genre. But it's completely and utterly boring.

4/22/24. I do enjoy The Black Keys, but this album seemed a bit... boring? Repetitive? I likely have a built in bias due to my preference to Jack White and Gary Clark Jr., but this one feels a little slow in places and hard to keep me engaged. Far from a bad album though.

I can imagine this is the sort of music that sounds amaaaazing if you've not heard much music before. By which I mean, it's bluesy, yes. It has grooves and keeps it simple, cool. It's a bit like other things but not as good, yeah? Cream, come to mind. As do Hendrix, old blues guys, etc. But also, less salubrious counterparts like Wolfmother or... Well, alright, just Wolfmother. It's a bit light a low-octane Wolfmother. Maybe with the occasional touch of later, crooning, Artic Monkeys. Or that guy with the hat. What was he called? ...Hozier! It all seems kinda bullshit to me. Like people pretending to do "proper" music but dumbing it down a bit to make it popular. It's alright. But so what?

I thought this album was annoying for some reason

This is just meh. Overplayed on the radio, for sure, and a whole album of this just isn't fun. 2/5

Pleasant enough. Nothing special

It's like all the songs have the same underlying beat or rhythm. The songs just blended together.

Poor man's White Stripes. Didn't hold my interest at all.

Over-rated. I like the bluesier numbers without the cloying falsetto, especially the instrumental "Black Mud." In a certain respect this is the BIGGEST rock album of the era. Like, pure rock album. And it sort of stands as the zenith of that whole decade's rock revival. That and its success probably paved the way for all the great indie, garage acts of the following decade. There's something to say too about how Carney and Auerback stayed true to their blues-rock sound while all-the-while filling stadiums, radio channels, and video game start menus; unlike some other rock bands of the era (ahem, Kings of Leon) that very much changed their sound to make that same success happen. I like Patrick Carney and respect the hell out of Danger Mouse's work on these records—a testament to his extreme range and vision and very much the reason, I think, for this album's cross-over appeal. But Dan Auerbach has always rubbed me the wrong way for whatever reason. (Remember his "beef" with Jack White? 😂) I went back and listened to a few of the very early Black Keys cuts long before this album came out. I like the purity of those early blues garage rock tracks better than this polished version. Great album cover. Whoever designed it deserves an award. Liking this less and less as I listen. The Alabama Shakes did it so much better 2 years later. 2 stars.

I like the aesthetic, but the songs just don't really stand out to me. There's lots of bluesy garage rock out there that I like more.

A couple songs with good hooks but a lot of boring ones. Playing is sloppier than I remember but at least it’s “authentic.” I like the vague nod to 70s soul in the production.

A rarity: an album with which I'm already familiar yet doubt belongs on the list. I was pretty into this album when it came out, but haven't gone back to it, especially as the Black Keys stretch their one trick across an expanding discography. Listening ~15 years later, when the Black Keys have more fully embraced their place as generators of televised-sport/video-game-menu/truck-commercial background music, this don't age so good. It feels like every good song has a dark twin on the tracklist, and a pretty bold 8-track lp becomes a sludgy, 15-track death march. My hypothesis is that whoever put this on the list is simply not immune from the whiteboy urge to adore anything with Danger Mouse on the credits. Nothing wrong with Danger Mouse; but tighten it up, white boys.

Somebody said they sound like imagine dragons and I can't get that out of my head, so whoever you are, you ruined this album for me

For me Magic Potion and Attack and Release are brilliant. Thickfreakness, Rubber Factory, and Chulahoma are super-interesting. Brothers sounds great - but none of the songs grab me. It's such a perfect example of something I wrote for Sonic Youth's Dirty that I'll add... Almost every innovative band (across every genre) that has found success has followed a common career arc. One, maybe two, ultra-raw albums; one to three albums that are technically imperfect, often quirky, and filled with brilliant songs; and then one to a series of well-performed and well-produced albums that aren't nearly as interesting. I think it's because of boredom and (ambitious) desperation. Artists that want to be unique are desperate to create great works. Starting out, nothing matters but learning to play better, writing better songs, and finding and perfecting that unique sound. And when they first hit the road they have SOOOOOO much down time; so much boredom - hour upon hour in vans and crappy hotels and backstage with nothing to do but joke around, practice, and write. I think the convergence of this boredom and desperation are the periods of intense creativity. Because the artist(s) is/are still searching for that perfect sound, all of their influences are freely thrown into the cauldron and stirred around. No one outside of the band is depending on the next album selling and so there is freedom to explore and take risks. In fact, the five to ten fans a week who come to the shows are the type of people who LOVE the creativity and quirkiness. And those few encounters mean SO much to the artist(s) that it reinforces the desperation and drive to make something brilliant. The desperation is never happy with the results and it fills all of that time with editing, writing, editing, writing, editing. And then they start to perfect and hone in on their "sound." They're mastering the instruments and the song-writing process from all of the practice. The writing and recording become just a bit easier. And then success starts to come. But it doesn't make life easier - it makes it a whole lot more complex. It's no longer a band in a van; it's an organization and a brand. Suddenly there are 1,000 decisions to be made every day about the business of the organization: the touring logistics, political/social/HR shit (among the band members, the roadies, the assistants...), the record label's demands, the publicists, the image, which festivals to play in 18 months...People the artist cares deeply about start to rely on the money coming in for their livelihoods. The band, the manager, the publicist, the roadies start to collect expensive addictions, car payments, significant others, kids, mortgages, etc. And this pressure tends to fall on the one or two people who are doing the writing because it's "their band." All of that time that used to go to songwriting and editing gets eaten up by more "urgent" matters relating to the health and sustainability of the org and the brand. But it's OK, because the artist(s) is/are more practiced at the songwriting and so it comes quicker and easier. We need three more songs? No problem, I'll do it on Tuesday. But the product doesn't lie. All of that desperate creativity, the social "space" for risk-taking, and the time spent editing made great songs. Now the "sound" is polished and the techniques are mastered and the albums sell because they sound great and the concerts are sold out because the brand is known. But the songs don't quite sparkle anymore. And the org and the brand are doing great so no one in the inner orbit notices or cares in the rush of the high-life.

So repetitive and nothing noteworthy

I could only take so much.

Somewhat forgettable stuff. Sounds well produced, but it doesn't evoke significant emotion in me.

Hard to have any real feeling about. It just exists. Wasn't bad or good, just ephemeral. I think that can't be a positive though, so.. 2/5

Not really my vibe at all, but I can’t say that I hated it. Just makes me kinda sleepy. D+

No. I don’t understand how this album got selected in the exclusive list of 1001 albums while Weezer, Tool and Deftones were left out. I simply don’t. The music here is not bad, it just isn’t any good. None of the songs have any passion. Some songs, like Too Afraid to Love is almost really good; I like the style, the ambiance created with the keys and the vocal melody, but it’s delivered as though they don’t really mean it. It’s like they took a mix of all their influences and put it through a blander (see what I did there?) The album might be a three, but I’m going all the way down to two, because of the needlessness of it all

uninspiring

the album started off pretty damn bad like it just was not fun to listen to the high pitch voice like idk why he was trying to be so quirky or whatever. I feel like its just almost fine but there's annoying noises n sounds in there that lowk just piss me off. it definitely gets a bit better later in the album but can't get over the beginning. 5/10 round down

Despite really liking Turn Blue and somewhat liking El Camino, I just couldn't get into this album. Didn't hear anything that stood out and instead sounded like too many numbers that plodded along without much excitement. Disappointing

Beginning to question the proprietor of these 1,001 albums…

I listened to it on Friday and can’t remember anything about it now that it’s Monday. So… yeah. I recall thinking it was fine but ultimately I didn’t care at all. Songs added to Spotify: 0

Thoughts before listening: Not my favorite album by the Black Keys, but this is the one when they started becoming alt rock stars instead of underground indie rock cult heros. I enjoy this band quite a bit and have even seen them a few times, so it'll be nice to re-listen to one of their classics. Review: The hits are definitely catchy and it's overall a fine record. It's not however something I would consider to be one of the 1,001 best of all time. I added "Tighten Up", "Howlin' For You", and "Sinister Kid" to the playlist, and I'll be glad to hear those when they come up. The album however is 2-stars to me.

Who in the world needs almost an hour of The Black Keys on one album? I like a good riff as much as the next person, but this band has a tendency to milk them. The songs that are great are immaculately produced, catchy, and performed well; the songs that aren't are kind of exhausting. I can forgive a repetitive song when it's not a minute too long. It all begins to sound the same. Also, goodness gracious are these lyrics vapid. Highlights: Everlasting Light, Tighten Up, Howlin' For You

Some songs are really good but the whole album is lackluster. It went on too long.

I like a bit of scuzzy blues as much as the next person, but this was just a tad too samey.

I kinda thought I liked this band. Turned out they are boring as hell

This album felt long, lots of forgettable songs. A couple of really good ones, really liked Black Mud and Never gonna give you up. But it doesn't make up for the rest of the album.

Not awful, not great. Was an album with songs

Hm beetje een rock/bluesy album, klinkt in het begin wel nice! Tighten it up is een absolute klassieker, zit die niet in een FIFA? Vind er een heel vervelend toontje in Howling zitten, haalt me echt uit het nummer... Vind dit album een beetje een mindere versie dan Arctic Monkeys. Het pakt me niet heel erg en het eerste woord dat in me opkomt is 'prima'. Ik voel bijna niets tijdens dit hele album, het is vooral muziek voor op de achtergrond. Zou het 2,5 geven, omdat het muzikaal gewoon prima is, maar niet echt bijzonder is naar mijn mening. Dat kan niet, dus worden het 2 sterren, sorry Black Keys jullie hebben echt net pech FAVO:Tighten it up, Never Gonna Give you up

Nothing special

It’s ok, a couple songs I liked but most I wouldn’t want to hear again.

I've heard worse...

The Black Keys have a distinctive sound; you instantly know it’s a Black Keys song when one comes on. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to tell which Black Keys song is playing as they all sound identical, which tends to make their albums drag. I was also disappointed to discover Never Gonna Give You Up wasn’t a cover of the Rick Astley classic.

Started off ok, whitestripes influence but god did it become a slog after the first few songs. Found myself praying they would kick the tempo up a little as one song merged into another and I slowly slipped into a coma.

I used to love a lot of these songs when they were all over the radio. I’m glad I have since changed and grown as a person <3

The Black Keys are what they are. They write blues pop songs. I just don't like blues, and I don't like the radio-jingle style of writing they do. So, I can't give this one stars, as they play well, and there is obviously talent and skill in the songs they write. However, it is very much not for me, and this album, if anything, is the epitome of what they are to me, for better (for other people) and worse (for me).

A terrific album opener - arguably one of the best album openers of all time, full of swagger and promise of more to follow - but the rest of the album fails to keep up and fades away into a morass of similar sounding tunes. The cover of Never Give You Up is fun but otherwise not quite enough.

Hm war ganz okay aber mir hat die ganze Zeit was gefehlt

"Brothers" is regarded as one of the best albums from The Black Keys. "Tighten Up" and "Howlin' for You" were very popular singles. The Black Keys have an indie, garage rock vibe. Every song on the album sounds kinda similar and its all very sterile. Their musical success is cold, calculated, and devoid of artistic flair or individuality. This band was blocked on my Spotify and this album helped me remember why.

this album was almost offensively dull. the first few tracks were fine but the blues-rock-for-white-people vibe got pretty stale after that. i'd rather listen to a car alarm for an hour than this annoying fuzzy guitar tone and artificially heavy drum sounds while some soulful white guy sings nothing of importance at me. it's honestly impressive that they managed to write the exact same song 15 times and not realize it. favorites: everlasting light, tighten up, howlin for you

I don't get the Black Keys.

It was okay

This is fine. If you want to listen to pretty good blues rock made in 2010, you could do worse than this album. However, there are lots of better blues rock albums to listen to, so I'm not sure why you would go out of your way to listen to this one.

I've never really been that into The Black Keys. They've always just felt like really generic alt-rock guys doing unoriginal blues rock and trying to sound old-timey. The production of this album is a perfect example, they've obviously added a tape hiss/reverb effect to a lot of the vocals and tracks overall. That being said, this album isn't bad, just not something I'd ever really choose to listen to as I don't find it very interesting or exciting. So, I'm going with a middling rating. Standout Tracks: Everlasting Light, Howlin' for You, Unknown Brother, These Days

I can get why they're popular, but I don't get why they're loved

Very forgettable indie rock with a touch of blues and a fuzz pedal to create some "edgy" moments. Pretty dull in general.

This might be the most mid/2.5 stars thing I've ever listened too. On one side, you have beautifully toned and well recorded and played instruments, but on the other side, you have the most already-hearded boring and predictable blues rock compositions and lyrics. And you have to go through 55 minutes of it.

This an album by the Black Keys. The name of the album is Brothers. It's the album where we sell out.

not interesting indie rock

studio eksekutiivi rokkia.. keinitekoista bluessia.. konkkaronkka kuin valkaisuaineella hangattun naamalärvit puhtaaksi. tarvitsee kaikenäköistä efektiä vokaaleihin kun ei tarpeeksi soulful ääni.. noh noh on siellä osattukin.. keskiosaa albumussa kivaa instrumentointia, kelpaa pintamutiin pohjamutien joukosta... black mud

I have always felt like people who like the black keys have never really heard good music, and just like the idea of rock music still being cool. I don't care much for the sound of this record. The songwriting is not very interesting to me, and does not justify the long runtime. The single Tighten Up is the most memorable track, yet the 2010 twee ass whistling hook has not aged well. After almost one whole hour of very distorted mid performances of bland rockisms, the cover of Never Gonna Give You Up stands out. I can, however, not understand why anybody would listen this version rather than to the original. 2

More blues tinged rock I just can't get into. Not bad but nothing engaging for me. I wasn't a fan when these singles were on the radio either. The last song was slower, almost like Mazzy Star, which I kind of liked, but at 50 minutes in, it's too little to late. Best Songs: These days Listen Again: No

The big commercial letdown. Dan went all in on his pho-psychadelic sounds and expanded the band. Lyrics sound like a teenager's basement chasing hits. Lost the soul and the things that made the band special.

Achei muito repetitivas as músicas. Parecem uma banda indie querendo ser um arctic monkeys. Meu deus do céu cara, não acaba esse álbum. Tem 1h8m, mas porra, parece que to a 3 horas ouvindo ele e querendo que acabe logo, saco do caralho huahuahuauh. Vibe num geral é massa, me lembra do cheiro da noite em Joinville novamente. Mas nada impressiona e enche um pouco o saco.

Mid

Pleasant enough - bit samey and no particular highlights for me

It's fine

One trick pony. I only liked Howlin' for You

Most of the songs sounded too similar. Exception made for the cover of Never Gonna Give You Up, and the big famous song.

didnt care for it

A perfect meh album. There were some great songs and some forgettable songs. Tighten up, Howlin for You and Next Girl will always remain as excellent records. For whatever reason, the rest of the album really didn't do much for me.

Bass player was drunk and forgot to show up to work!

Repetitive and dry - not as strong as I remember

there's definitely some hooks on this, although not a whole lot of substance. Some tracks were so generic and familiar I just skipped them. I kind of doubt I'd want to re-listen to anything. Maybe just "The Only One", which sounds unlike anything I've heard from them.

It was ok

apple commercial core

Enjoyed the jazzy tunes but most of the songs seemed to blur into the background and it was hard to tell many of them apart. Don’t know the history of the album or much about the black keys, but the album was fine. For my taste though, most of the songs are on my skip list.

Top Tracks: 1) Black Mud 2) The Only One 3) Too Afraid to Love You

Music for beer adverts

Meh not my bag 2

There were a few great songs

Shallow. Souless. Typical.

Inoffensive, but that's hardly a recommendation. Bland.

It's okay, but overstays it's welcome. Would benefit from being cut down to a shorter album.

i want 2 die.

Most of it blended into nothing for me, some of it caught my attention but not for long

I guess this was okayish, nothing really stood out as overly grating, just all a bit formulaic and dull.

One of my closest, stinkiest friends has definitely spoken of the Black Keys a lot over the years with considerable fondness. Naturally, I ignored him and never sought out a listen for myself. I’m not entirely sure what to expect - probably rock, but who knows? Let’s listen and find out! Songs I already knew: Howlin’ For You Favourites: Sinister Kid This listen was a bit of a rollercoaster to listen to. The first five or so songs seemed really good, then I got bored. There were a few ups through the rest of the album, but on the whole I was bored by the end and it lost me. The music itself was an interesting mix of soul and rock, but it just didn’t feel captivating enough for my attention for the most part. I wasn’t a big fan of the vocals either. I’m not sure why, but they just didn’t click for me.

everlasting light was nice but after that everything is so amazingly similar that it becomes the same song for the next 50 minutes. this would be awesome if it actually did anything during those 50 minutes but alas it doesn't

Yeah, it’s sort of ok

Derivative.

I like their sound but some of the songs on this album felt a little uninspired. I found myself cringing at some of their lyrics too at times. The production is awesome, there's no denying that. Very creative and original. It's also a very long LP and it gets repetitive after awhile. Overall, not bad. It had some bangers like Sinister Kid and Howlin' for You but some of the tracks just sucked imo

to quote a tweet by user perma___ben: Thinking about how much I hate the band The Black Keys because they gave us another generation of Rock n Roll guys and all their music is good for is playing during the climax of a Red Lobster commercial when they pour liquid butter over a pile of endless shrimp in slow motion

Midpack

With the exception of 1 or 2 catchy songs this album felt very empty, really not much to it and I’m not quite sure why it’s on here

I am soooo bored. This must be what people mean when they tell me they don't get Radiohead. I don't get this. I saw them live once at some festival and I remember thinking the same thing about their set. "I am bored. When is it over?"

fine I guess. not bothered

Wasn’t a big fan of this one. Safe blues rock that goes on for too long (or at least feels like it does) and all blends together. The production and sound of the album did inspire a lot of bands mostly for worse but is ok here. Howlin for You is catchy but still not my thing.

I didn't like this album. It's supposed to be a kind of tribute to classic rock and blues, but there's very little of that. It feels as if it was made based on what someone assumes rock and blues should be, but they've never really listened to these genres. The production is nice and it has some interesting moments, but overall, it's quite bland

Interesting choice with this, not my favorite album by them but I'll give it another shot

this is a rip off white stripes band. i'll admit that i do enjoy their song 'Lonely boy' from the El Camino album, but did they ever make another significant song like that again? in this album, they didn't. 'Howlin for you' was quite decent, and the only standout track. 'The only ones' was tolerable. The rest of the album was dull and forgettable. This is the definitive safe and boring sound. I'd rather listen to something excessively shit, than this crappy mediocrity.

так и не могу их слушать. может если бы они сняли фильтр с вокала и пели нормально в микрофон...

Far too dramatic. It all sounds like it comes from adverts, no cohesion. Just not for me.

A handful of decent songs, but feels like the definition of generic rock.

Meh

Ugh, half of the songs are pretty much about their "baby girl", which I wouldn't mind if this was done more interestingly. Not bad, just meh. Would be a 3 if it weren't too long for what it is. 2/5

The last song was nice by virtue of its variety.

Pleasant listening but did not appear to be particularly inventive. Comes off as a blend between the Beatles and Raconteurs/White Stripes. Top songs: None

Everlasting Light - first listen: 1.4/3 Next Girl - fl: 1.2/3 Tighten Up - fl: 1.5/3 Howlin' for You - fl: 1.4/3 [BEST.] She's Long Gone - fl: 1.6/3 Black Mud - fl: 1.4/3 The Only One - fl: 1.3/3 Too Afraid to Love You - fl: 1.4/3 Ten Cent Pistol - fl: 1.5/3 Sinister Kid - fl: 1.4/3 The Go Getter - fl: 1.2/3 I'm Not the One - fl: 1.4/3 Unknown Brother - fl: 1.4/3 Never Gonna Give You Up - fl: 1.7/3 These Days - fl: 1.5/3 Final Verdict: 2 Good Songs, the rest are not my cup of tea. Overall underwhelming album

PREFS : Everlasting Love, Tighten Up, Sinister Kid, Unknown Brother MOINS PREF : Next Girl

De tycker nog att de rockar, men de tycker fel.

Este disco me aburre un poco. Creo que con 10 canciones sería mucho mejor.

I know I'm beating a dead horse at this point, but holy cow does The Black Keys owe a tonne to Jack White. Their sound is incredibly similar, but much safer than both White's solo output and his time in various groups. And much like most of White's output, I grow tired of listening to a full length album. Especially one as long as Brothers. The lyrics are vapid. It's garage rock that isn't gritty enough, and it's blues rock without heart. It's music designed for commercials. But it's not unlistenable. I just don't see the point in any of it. I like 'Howling For You' though.

boring af

turgid rawwwwwk

The highlights were The Only One & Never Gonna Give You Up, but overall it was just a meh bluesy album.

Was ok, irked by the constant references to them being a duo when there's usually at least four instruments being played on each track. Didn't particularly rock me or move me. Hoped for more.

Pretty boring ass rock music, honestly. Tighten Up is a decent song, though.

The Black Keys, a jednak bialy duet muzyczny prosto z Ohio, plyta z 2k10, ktora ma byc graniem rokowo bluesowym, ale brzmi tak radiowo, ze pasuje bardziej na popowe rokowanie, stad pewnie fakt, ze jest to najlepiej sprzedany album duetu, a mieli ich calkiem sporo w dyskografii, bo jest to pozycja szosta, pomimo tego ze sklad stanowi tylko dwoch czlonkow, to grana muzyka nie brzmi tak skormnie jak moznaby przypuszczac, bo jest to polaczenie zywych instrumentow i mocno digitalowego obrabiania muzyki, a chyba to najbardziej oddaje popowe brzmienie, wszystko jest zbyt dokladnie idealne, nie moglem sie rowniez zaczepic na czymkolwiek lirycznie, mial byc album dla kazdego, czyli rownie dobrze dla nikogo szczegolnego moze byc, no i na 55 minutach materialu znalazlo sie miejsce na dzwonki, ktore brzmia podejrzanie swiatecznie, chociaz nie wiem czy jest jakas korelacja pomiedzy unkown brother a utworami swiatecznymi poza tymi dzwonkami, ktore sa tam dziwnym instrumentalem, ale takich dziwnych wyborow jest na krazku wiecej, no i nie jest to jedyny trak z dzwonieniem, choc z pewnoscia najbardziej swiatecznym, wiec posluchac sie da, jesli ktos szuka latwego odsluchu czegos okolo rokowo garazowego, ale z naciskiem na przystepnosc brzmienia, na plejke rzuce sinisterowego kida

Meh, pretty bland. Sounds like advert music to me.

Zzzzzzzz

I went into this album knowing a few of the songs, having listened to them individually. I didn't expect to have such a hard time listening to this, but I constantly kept on checking how many tracks were left. The overall sound of the album seems too polished, and every song starts to sound more or less the same. Not for me.

Booooooring

I was excited to see this come up as I haven't listened to The Black Keys much. For me, this album didn't live up to the hype. Songs started to blend together and I was just waiting for it to be over by the end.