Brothers

I heard this many years ago and didn’t think too much of it back then. Hearing it again now it’s still a bit underwhelming although the spirit is in the right place. This recording sounds pretty good. There’s a fuzzed out, warm, analog thing going on here with a nicely panned and spacious mix. I think the weak link here is the vocals which are done well but doesn’t have the convincing soul needed to elevate this kind of music to the next level. Yeah the music is good and quite catchy in spots but that’s about it. For me it doesn’t belong on this list but it might fit on a list of 10,001 albums.

An album I enjoyed greatly back in the day. It grows on you, though, so probably underrated in an album of the day setting where most people have time for one listen at most. One thing I don't like so much anymore is all of the references to girls when I'm pretty sure - I hope - they are singing about grown women. Also, is it me or is Danger Mouse the most important musician of this century so far? Discuss amongst yourselves...

Ooohhh, Jack White must be pissed right now. But I on the other hand am happy that Black Keys got included in this collection. I've always felt like they channeled a great sound and took inspiration from Jack White but took the band in a (somewhat) different direction. I'm also happy to hear this album, as I only own the one that came after this ("El Camino"), and "Brothers" clearly has a lot of their biggest hits. I particularly enjoyed the trifecta of "Next girl", "Tighten up" and "Howlin' for you" (with the first two having pretty funny videos to go along with the songs; not sure that the "Howlin'" faux-trailer-video is quite as funny as it thinks it is), as well as "Black mud" (plus "Part II" in the deluxe anniversary edition) and "Sinister kid". It's probably about 15-20 minutes too long, but what a solid album nonetheless. I don't think I knew before reading about this album that Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney were/are the entirety of The Black Keys, I guess mainly because they have such a full sound on their albums. Pretty impressive, I must say. It's also fascinating to read in the Wikpedia entry for the album what it was like to record in the long-defunct (but apparently legendary) Muscle Shoals Studio in the middle of rural Alabama, and how much the layout and acoustics of the old building influenced the sound of the album (I think the video for the intriguing "Too afraid to love you" shows a lot of that, including the harpsichord that they drunkenly requested from their manager one night). Even though they ended up doing more production and recording in other venues than just Muscle Shoals Studio, I'm glad for Auerbach that he got the chance to record in one of his bucket list studios, and that they ended up with a fantastic album as a result. I'm also glad that they were willing to keep exploring new approaches and didn't keep dipping in that particular bucket with subsequent albums.

new to me and I like their sound and intensity. Bluesy rock with a lot of bite and a little fuzz. I'm in.

Glad to see the Black Keys featured in this list Good to hear them again Maybe three standout tracks in this collection - but not quite enough to carry a whole album

I enjoyed the soulful vocals and psychedelic rock instrumentations

Great gym bump. Tunes like “Tighten Up”, “Sinister Kid”, and “These Days” make this album stand out.

Standouts Next Girl Howlin' For You I'm Not the One

This is a good record. Whenever I listen to the Black Keys, I think I should listen to them more, but I never do.

Okay rock blues album. Nothing special

Solid

Nei takk

Such a unique sound. Cool mix of boots with more modern indie rock sounds.

👎🏻

Lot of haters in the review section. BUT I LIKED IT! I don't think I've ever listened to the whole album before. There's some familiar songs on it, and the rest are easy to listen to. I'll be back for more of this one.

Blues adjacent- very repetitive but general good groove and enjoyable to listen to when feeling productive etc. Sunday 22/11

I don't get it. It's fine, though.

I'm sorry? Am I the only one who thinks that the lyrics on this album might be some of the cringiest ever recorded? I don't even care that much about lyrics generally but like, lmao. This shit is APPALLING. I'm cracking myself up reading through all the Genius pages. "Oh, my next girl, yeah / Will be nothing like my ex-girl" | "Well her eyes, they're rubies and pearls / And she's not made like those other girls" | "There is nothing worse in this world / Then payback from a, a jealous girl" | "And that's me, that's me / The boy with the broken halo / That's me, and that's me / The devil won't let me be" | "I am the bluest of blues"—why is nobody TALKING about this... Auerbach & Carney be normal about women and/or write something that doesn't sound like a fourteen-year-old's half-assed homework for the poetry unit in freshman English class challenge, failed 15 times over... The music here (boring) is not remotely good enough to redeem lyrics this low-effort. Two stars anyway though because I really did have some fun with the whole thing. I mean. I am the bluest of blues. lmfaoooooooo

4/10

This album had such a chokehold on the top 40 radio stations.

I've listened to this album 50 times before and seen them in concert. One of my favorites.

Pretty dope. Vocals weren't my favorite (typical) but there was a lot to like about the instrumentals and the later songs appealed more.

I don’t dislike this album. I used to listen to it semi regularly. It is a bit samey and long in the end though. El Camino is the album I’d go back to now if I wanted to listen to them again.

Occasionally, I listen to the first 4 tracks from this album then put something else on. Today, for the first time in years, I listened to all 15 tracks. Next time, I’ll listen to the first 4 tracks from this album then put something else on. Off to play Fifa 11 now.

Technically adroit but not my cup of tea

im a sad boy and my girlfriend is a bitch

A mash-up of dozens of popular genres and sounds from previous decades. It's a bit too self-conscious too be truly cool, it's trying too hard. Nothing here comes across as original, it feels more like a covers band, but they are covering their own songs. The best thing that the Black Keys ever did was the first 17 seconds of Lonely Boy, and the second best thing was the rest of Lonely Boy, so I am sad that I didn't get to hear that song as part of this listen. I did get to hear basically the same song 18 times for the course of an hour, though.

i have never heard a black keys song i enjoyed...i've even seen them live and i cannot NAME a single black keys song...but i will listen with an open mind next girl, v catchy you're the only one is pleasant i like the little jingly janglies in too afraid to love

Totally fine but it was never really for me

Think about a boring album. This one is even more boring. It's not too bad to deserve 1-star, but it's not good enough to receive 3-stars either. If you're planning to do an action movie but you don't have a lot of money to pay for the soundtrack you should definitely invest on this one.

Easy to put on - several in the front half that are super well known. It definitely blends together in the back half - to the point that it's like, why am I still listening to this. If it had kept some of the energy of the earlier tracks, it would be higher, but as it stands, it falls to a 3 with it's ambling nature.

A 3, but a highly enjoyable 3

Great album. Great band. So unique at the time of release.

Some of this reminds me of this weird modern Artic Monkeys sound where they try to sound overly rugged, but then it starting moving into its own sound, and the last 2 tracks are really good. I think it did pretty well, 7/10.

Good but not ground breaking

not bad just nothing special or stand out and there are really just 2-3 variations on the same song here. not a great, cohesive album and definitely not worthy of being on this list. there is plenty of better, more interesting and innovative blues rock out there but it probably does not have the mass appeal of this.

When these guys surfaced with that raw sound it was a welcomed change from the overproduced music that was popular at the time. I tire of the effects after a few cuts. But in general I like them.

I was regular whelmed by this one.

Meh. A couple of hits in amongst an album fill of filler. Meh.

A real "Meh" of an album. At the time, this was the album that made me check out on The Black Keys. And I checked out about two songs into this listen. A once-unique sound that they drove into the ground

Top top

Very interesting. Only vaguely know them, but really like their vibe and would like to know more. They have interesting rhythm, the signing is cool, cool songs. I found nothing "amazing" though to tip it into the 5 stars space.

We're getting into more recent music and I can tell. I don't think I've ever listened to the Black Keys (at least not actively) before, but I've definitely listened to a ton of bands inspired by The Black Keys (or at least, within the same niche). There is no part of me that can say this is not at least enjoyable, even if maybe generic.

1h17m man, tbh I never really got the hype around the Black Keys Fave track: These Days

EA Sports ass album

Solid blues rock. Not groundbreaking but enjoyable. Does it deserve to be on this list? Maybe not. But it is for sure a lot better than some other albums on this list.

Not for me, I like some of the production, I can hear blues/hendrix type vocals but overall it’s not something I would play

The best album from The Black Keys. Love the sound of this album and the lyrics are so rich and memorable.

This album is the beginning of their commercial success. With that came the death of their raw blues rock success. I enjoy this album, but it is somewhat boring. Not quite the commercial heavy hitters that El Camino and Turn Blue are, but also not the gritty raw albums I love like Thickfreakness or Rubber Factory.

Bluesy, soulful but maybe not the best choice for motivation on a work morning :P

Fantastic album all the way through

Good album by a good band. Each track is good: musically good lyrically good tunefully good. Their other albums are good too. Won't ever listen to it again. That's bad.

Much better Rock. The 2-4 run was strong. I honestly thought it was chill, on par with the oldies.

I found this one pretty smooth and easy listening. Just put it on in the background!

I think this is The Black Keys version of Metallica's Black Album...this is where they went fully mainstream. Like Metallica losing most of their thrash and aiming towards a larger audience, this is where The Black Keys stopped being just two guys hammering out white boy blues and went for a full band sound. I can't fault musicians for cashing in, I think most people would do the same if given the opportunity to do so. But if someone absolutely had to include a Black Keys on this list, I'd have gone with Thickfreakness or Rubber Factory instead of this. And for my money, nothing they released after this is worth listening to, maybe with the exception of El Camino. Anyway, I was a big fan of theirs back in the day and I listened to this album a lot when it came out. I didn't mind the stylistic shift but it's an album that's fallen by the wayside for me over the years...and maybe that's because The Black Keys have fallen by the wayside for me since everything after El Camino has been played once or twice and never been played again. I'm rambling, but this feels right, this feels familiar. Next Girl is one of my favorites of theirs, Tighten Up, Howlin' For You, She's Long Gone, all great. Forgot how much I liked Black Mud, the mid-album instrumental. I think my only real complaint with this album is that its a bunch of mid-tempo songs. It's not a slog, but it's more subdued and that's fine. That, and they front-loaded the first half of the album. The second half is still good, but not as strong as the first. Unknown Brother is the weakest track on the album, it should have been left on the cutting room floor and maybe These Days, too. That said, I can't help but give this a 5. Maybe not for this particular album, but because it makes me think about a happy time in my life when I was excited to get this album, played it a ton and was really into the Black Keys. If anything, this makes me want to go back and listen to their previous work...especially the lesser known Chulahoma, the Junior Kimbrough tribute EP. And maybe because I had to listen to the absolutely terrible Bjork album yesterday, this was very much welcomed.

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G In my opion an album with HITS like Everlasting Lights, Howlin' for You, Tighten Up are great songs !!!

The brothers at their best! Always a great listen.

Decent, put pretty samey by the end. 3.5/5

nah, i don’t like the sound engineering on this one :/

Nije Lana luda...

Wow crazy looking through all these reviews and seeing so many one stars. I enjoyed it, but they have me second guessing myself. I recently told someone I’m not a huge Erykah Badu fan and I tried looking for a single negative review of her online and came up empty handed. Maybe my ears are broken. — Ok I gave it a proper headphone visit and also saw it was released in 2010… a little monotonous. Has vibes of The Killers and The Doors having a baby, but worse. But still not bad either!

Already knew I would like this one, but WOW did I like it! Great album with good flow and not one mid track!

I was wondering if this would be the album with that one song. It was.

This is an album rating by me. The star value of that rating is four.

After the first song I thought, uh oh, was I wrong about them??? No.

Why no white keys? “This is an album by The “wish we were” Black Keys. The name of this album is “ Bad Blues” Brothers.“

Just amazing

Aburrido, horrible

This is a fantastic album

Not really my thing but they are a great band

It took a while to get in to this album, and even after a few listens I can't get beyond describing it more than 'just alright'. Around this time I listened to comparable bands like The Strokes and The White Stripes, both of which did better albums than this. The songs don't change much throughout, although there were a few standout tracks in Next Girl, Howlin for You and I'm Not The One. The Black Keys were new to me. They were OK but I'm not overly fussed about finding out more about them.

Looking forward to this one!

Well, this album doesn't add anything new to the blues genre but it is very enjoyable, and I can't deny that I liked it a lot. It doesn't feel repetitive or long, to be honest. It feels very well linked. Also, all the songs are very well done and the production works really well when trying to sound raspy and noisy (yet it actually is very polished).

Great album. Black Keys have a unique sound that holds up against any band. Thoroughly enjoyable and worth multiple listens.

Not bad

This probably a biased 5 because they're one of my favorite bands, but gosh it's good

These brothers ain’t got no soul. Boring and uninspired.

There is one or two upswings, but it's mostly a miss.

It evokes a millenial "stomp boom clap!" vibe that I just don't care for.

Liked the vibe overall, I'll relisten to it at some point.

Listened to this album in college but had no memory of the second half, now that I’m forcing myself to it sure feels like a slog.

Amazing.

Heavy guitars and raw vocals. Got to be in the mood.

Dirty blues done right. Sometimes sounds over-polished but it feels like an egg in a well buttered pan.

Ratings: 5: I will happily play this album anytime 4: I may occasionally play this album of my own free will 3: I will happily listen to this if someone plays it in the background 2: I will tolerate this if it is playing in the background 1: I will leave the room if someone plays this in the background I guess I just don't get what makes this stand out. It sounds OK...I don't hear much of anything novel going on.

It was a vibe, some songs that you did not know you knew until you put a name on it

Lyssnade som fan på deras skiva från 2008, attack and release. Gillade det soundet. Det låter onekligen väldigt likt på denna skiva. Men det är inte något dåligt. Grym rytmisk rock med utsvävningar. Trevligt.

Inte hört tidigare men är ju svag för bluesrock och det här var publikfriande melodiöst och lätt att tycka om direkt.

It was good and enjoyable, but didn't really do much for me...

They front loaded this album with the good songs.

The A side is pretty good, but except for the Ten Cent Pistol, the B side fades pretty quickly.

*shrug*

4.4

Loved this album! Would listen to again!

Falls into the same category as Gary Clark for me. I should like it more than I do. Not sure what doesn't click, but still some great songs. I think maybe the drumming is just mid.

I love The Black Keys so this review will be biased in favor of their music. In general the album is a whole vibe. Great "strut" music or walking music. Some very viral hits early on and just good alternative rock for the whole album. Is it the best album? Not necessarily, but it's damn good. Multiple songs on this album are in my daily listening playlist. Good stuff 8/10

The Black Keys were a band in the early 2000’s I was paying close attention to, a punchy guitar and drum duo pumping out some really good gritty bluesy jams. Brothers marks a point in their career where the duo shed the grit and presented us with a more polished bluesy rock sound. I think they balanced it out really well on Brothers, the first half gives us some catchy tunes in Tighten Up, and the sports anthem jam, Howlin’ For You. The Only One slows things down with a bit of a pysch tinge to it and it works pretty well. I’d argue this is their last good album, I wasn’t a fan of El Camino but Brothers still holds up pretty well. 4 stars

I’ve always liked The Black Keys, so was happy to see them pop up. The songs are simple and straight forward, yet still pack a punch to them. I like the quality and tone of the singer’s voice, it fits the music. I always think of them as a newer band so was shocked to see this album come out in 2010. Time flies when you’re old.

I’m a fan of that greasy, in your face, guitar-driven sound the Black Keys deliver which also happens to complement the (sometimes even falsetto) voice of the lead singer very well. The simplicity of the band is great in that they don’t overload you with too many different sounds or effects. It’s a handful of instruments and some good singing. That’s all that is needed.

It’s been a long time since I listened to this album … now I remember why. This is soulless, white boy blues. It’s a miss from an otherwise good band. The musicianship is tight and the clean blues hooks mixed with rock bravado catch the ear, but the lyrics here are my trouble; in fact, they are laughably poor; a collection of simplistic rhymes - “My next girl will be nothing like my ex girl” - littered amongst a pointless dribble of ideas - Howlin’ for You has a first ‘verse’ about actors, the next one talking to a bird and the third one about baseball. I mean, Bob Dylan is rolling over in his soon-to-be grave. I’d much rather listen to them lean into a full-on rock out, like on their next album (El Camino). I’ll flush this album.

Bluesy indy garage rock, done very well by two players, which is pretty impressive. Album has a minimalist feel that doesnt require much from the listener. Not much to overthink here. Sit back, let the drums lead the way as the riffs entertain you.

now that i dont hear these songs in every car commercial i think it's alright

Debate raged in the boardroom of the recently convened NME Sculpture and Architecture Council (NMESAC). Agenda items one to nine had been tabled and progressed without much ado – there’d been unanimous agreement on the timing of “party favours Friday”, the enshrining of “vow of silence until after lunch Mondays” and, surprisingly, no pushback on the draft proposal for rotating aux rights – but item ten was proving tricky. “Royal Blood is to Death From Above what the Monkees were to The Beatles,” offered Archie from beneath an affected scowl. “There’s nothing intrinsically wrong with The Monkees and nothing intrinsically wrong with Royal Blood,” began Penny before being interrupted by Phil, Archie’s pal. “Horseshit. Relativism at its worst.” “Oh, poor you guys. Look, someone’s disagreed and now it’s the sin of ‘relativism’. As if the entire fucking project of deciding on a Mount Rushmore of Millennial Radio Rock isn’t predicated on precisely that. Relativism. Dickheads.” “Enough,” shouted Prince (no relation) over the top of the rowing two and their supporting factions. Using the heel of his hastily delaced winkelpicker as a makeshift gavel, he called the room back into order. “I will not see it that our first major project, our flagship and a commission we know to be so extremely dear to our Financier, is scarred in its infancy by internecine warring. The Rushmore of Millennial Radio Rock cannot be born into a climate of spite.” The eight, disquieted, stared at the boardroom’s gleaming oak table top. An early head of steam saw Sergio Pizarro and Joe Newman already locked in. Helpfully (or not, depending on your perspective), some of the heaviest hitters (James Bond baiting Jack White, AM-era Alex Turner, later Beck) had been reserved for a mysterious future project – rumours in the office were that the Financier was thinking “in lunar terms”. Shortlisted alongside the contentious Mike Kerr were Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons, Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys and Dan Smith of Bastille. “Now, if we feel ready, may I propose we put the Kerr question to one side and discuss the relative – I’ll thank you not to scoff, Penny – merits of the Dans?” Royal Blood forgotten about, the discussion soon returned to smooth sailing. Auerbach and Reynolds would be the two taken forward. A late case was made for switching Newman for Smith, delegates remembering how much the “wayohayo stuff” had really struck a chord in the early 10s, but the group ultimately agreed that two Dans was enough. “I think our Financier will be most pleased, team. We have converged on a cadre of creatives whose anthems didn’t just survive a tradesperson’s FM radio but indeed thrived through those antiquated, busted systems.” To celebrate, the folks of NMESAC popped “Howlin’ For You” onto the stereo. It would feel, to anyone with the ears to hear it, that the soundtrack to the time before everything got really shit was itself fairly shit: a sort of bluesy Fratellis that used vibrato in place of any actual ideas. Luckily though, they couldn’t hear it. No one could.

Tighten up was one of my favorites songs when I was 14.

Honestly baffled that this was included in this list - a very middling retro rock throwback that sands off its rough edges for commercial gains. Early The Black Keys records were fun (and I enjoyed them at the time) but they were always in the shadow of better rock bands.

So boiling generic rock, dnf

I still can’t tell if this is actually cool or just trying to be and failing. But it’s pretty chill and charming even if unintentionally silly so I can’t be mad at it.

All the songs sound the same and none are that good.

Un peu comme les White Stripes, mais un peu moins bien à tous les niveaux.

It’s fine

Brothers has that fuzzy, bluesy swagger The Black Keys are known for, but here it feels a bit stuck in its own groove. The grit and stomp are there, yet after a few tracks it all starts to blur together - like they found a sound that works and just rode it too long. There’s soul in the mix, sure, but not much spark. It’s fine background noise, just not much more.

Not sure why this retro tosh is supposed to be alternative.

Reminds me of my early 20s

Black Keys su baš proizvod svog vremena. I to mogu reći jer mi već za desetak godina zvuče zastarjelo. A to je ono vrijeme kad je sve postajalo nekako bljutavo i izvještačeno. Tako zvuči ovaj album. Ništa nije loše, ali isto kao da nije tu. Pozadinski zvuk.

Car commercial music.

Solid stuff.

I don’t love this band but this is a really good album.

Just all around good.

This hasn’t held up quite as well as I remember, but still a very listenable album. It’s a bit overlong; if this was a 10-12 track album I think it would play a little better.

I bought this album when it came out and listened to it quite often. This would be peak Black Keys in my opinion. Very commercial and pop oriented album as compared to its predecessor.

I wouldn’t listen to it in entirety often, but I dig this kind of rock. 4.5 stars

I loved this album back when it came out and I still love it. The bluesy rock is great and there are so many tracks that stand out.

What a fantastic album. Mix of alternative and blues so of course it’s getting 5 stars from me.

Everything about The Black Keys points to me being a fan. They're rock'n'roll, they're a bit dirty, garagey, bluesy. They were popular when I was consuming a lot of music like this but they somehow never quite caught and held my attention. Hell, I own this album and forgot that I had it until I was scrolling my iTunes looking for something else this week. I couldn't remember or recognise a single moment. It's generally good and an easy listen but it just fails to excite me. I never raised the enthusiasm to go and see them live at the time or quite possibly, I did but I've already forgotten about it. So this is about as 2.5 an album as I can possibly imagine but I do find myself feeling that it's better than most of my 2s, even if it's also worse than most of my 3s.

Not my cup of tea

I love the Black Keys, but this is one of their weakest Albums, imo. The Songs feel a little harmless and three or four songs less would have been better. Fav: Howlin‘ for you

Helt greit, men ikke helt min greie.

They're Marvel-movie-mediocre. I will say I did love the song 10AM Automatic off of one of their earlier albums...forgive me father, I have sinned. It's not as good as Madvillainy.

Mange kjente sanger

Is this supposed to be a parody ? Because it sounds as if a couple of college students met in a basement and tried to ironically recreate the blues records their dads used to play when they were kids. It’s a pity because I was ready to love this album. Blues meets garage rock – what could go wrong ? As it turns out, quite a few things. The production is bloated and loud ; sound is sometimes so saturated that I had to check if there was a problem with my speakers ("Never Gonna Give You Up" is barely listenable, it’s like listening to static). The blues vibe is so overdone that it’s almost caricatural. I’ll admit there’s some nice beats here and there. As tired and rehashed as they may be, the old blues tropes are still working to some extent, and The Black Keys did manage to inject a couple of new ideas into them (I found "Too Afraid To Love You" quite original). It’s good music for drinking in a pub, but it quickly gets tiring. Most of the songs are very formulaic, reusing the same gimmicks over and over again. One hour of this was just too much for me. 4/10

Simple, and highly enjoyable. the combo voice/ guitar and or bass with drums is far from the over produced sound of the time. Some songs sounds like others? it's because there's Black Keys sound.

Not good, not bad... i did forget many times that I already listened to this album That's clear: no big influence over me

Early 2000s, I stumble upon the track Busted by The Black Keys, a dirty, fuzzy blues straight out of the RL Burnside school, and I’m hooked. Their early stoner-blues albums totally did it for me. But this list, as usual, misses the real gems and goes for the band’s best seller which is just another garage rock record in line with the White Stripes vibe. Not my thing at all. The raw magic’s gone, and it’s just lame.

There's people among us who listen to this and think it's really good. Chilling.

Boring, forgettable blues rock, played by white men who think they can sound like their heroes. This is an album I wouldn't recommend anyone listening to at all.

Nostalgia + pure thickfreakness

3.0 Never been a huge The Black Keys fan and never understood why, still don't. The first 4 songs sounded much better than I remember from radio play in headphones and I thought maybe I'd been unfair. The next 14 though were just too repetitive and I couldn't get into it. I can see why people like them but for me I'm going three (album I enjoyed but don't think I'll revisit)

Catchy music and some good singing mixed with singing through a microphone that made me want to change songs. Thankfully most songs don't use that filter on the singing making it overall a really good smooth album that I really enjoyed listening through.

Sometimes simplicity is a good hang.

YouTube charcoal bbq montage music, flame-grilled whopper music, big wielding content music, vintage garbage truck enthusiast music, competitive eating walk-on music, mid-range SUV ads at half-time music

Honestly pretty boring album. Fine as background music but couldn't finish it.

Revisiting this after not really listening to it for over a decade is a kick. Also, the drum/bass/low end mixing on this thing is really impressive and speaks to my basshead loving nature. The non-hit tracks still rock, and it's clear with hindsight it was a pretty inspired album that probably got too big for the band's good. I can clearly hear inspiration in the production taken by Fiona Apple for Fetch the Bolt Cutters.

The first song “Everlasting Light” is on just about every single playlist I made from 2010 to 2015. It’s a song that kind of just sounds like an era in time for me now. That being said, I don’t remember the last time I listened to this entire album, and I liked it. Cool voice, good guitar sound. I honestly don’t think I ever really got in to the full album, but it’s good to know it holds up with the first song in my book.

I have never really gotten the black keys, and I really don’t understand this album. There is so little here that catches my attention. For me, this is closer to lo-fi study music than it is to anything else.

I remember being vaguely interested in the Black Keys as a teenager and undergrad but I think it had more to do with the sort of retro rock sound than anything special they were doing. If you're going to play this heavily it has to be skillful like Zeppelin or have a vitality to it like the Ramones or the early Green Day. This has aged poorly, future generations will look at these guys like we look at the Monkees. Her?

You ever go to an amazing steak restaurant and order fish? That's this album, a blues rock band trying out different stuff, and it's good, but it's not what you came for. Also, their darkest album. I'm glad I went back, there are some toe-tappers on here, but far from my favorite album by the keys.

I do enjoy The Black Keys whole deal. The “hits” still hit for me. The other songs are solid. 4/5

Hellllll nah

boring

One off my most favorite albums.

Loved this, simple but really warm and enjoyable production. Great vibe for songs and just overall fun and interesting. The back end of the album kind of fell away for me but still, need more time with this

Excellent album

What a stupid album cover. The music isn’t terrible but gets old quick. Would rate 2.5 but feeling generous.

Some fantastic songs on this. Too Afraid to Love is a particular stand-out. Everlasting light and Howlin' For You are also great (latter is very nostalgic, FIFA and all that). But yeah, something about the Black Keys just doesn't hit quite right for the most part. Not sure what it is exactly, but yeah...

Love everything about this. The Black Keys are modern blues rock and belong here. I would be surprised if the Keys get more than one album here (although they are more deserving than a half-dozen duel or even triple album artists I've come across, they are objectively only deserving of one album), so my criticism is that it should be El Camino. An argument could be made for Thickfreakness over Brothers as well. Still, I love me some blues rock, these guys are it, and the live shows are awesome. Influencec 4. Hits 5. Quality 4. I love this shit 5.

Didn’t hate it. Didn’t necessarily like any of it either. Didnt NEED to hear this one before I die.

fuldstændig fedt. dampmaskine på lyd.

Not my fav Black Keys album but still very enjoyable

This could have been 8 tracks shorter.

Contrived, derivative, boring. I truly hate this period in "rock" music, and I hate the Black Keys for perpetuating it.

great, simple funky rock. catchy beats and fun vocal performance. one of may favorites.

Dude this is like the GOAT album for garage rock

Nice blues rock so I won't ding them for musicianship, but holy cow it was boring.

The Black Keys in all their fuzzy glory. This album feels so connected to that era of alternative rock and it was great to re-experience the hits. Really fun listen. Best Track: Tighten Up

Dude yes, i remember bumping this album hard as I was in my teens. Some great fuckin songs on this album for sure.

I saw the track list and was surprised that a) there were a bunch of songs I had already heard and liked, and b) there were a bunch of songs that I hadn't. After listening to the album I can confidently say that Black Keys have a shotgun approach to their songs. A few memorable songs that I'd pick to listen, a handful that I wouldn't skip, and about half the album that is just mediocre. Definitely pick and choose songs instead of listening to the whole thing.

Boring

Banger album

No conocía este disco de ellos, aunque es un grupo que me gusta al final sus álbumes no terminan de llenarme por lo que nunca me he puesto a escuchar toda su discografía. Me he guardado "Tighten up" y "Howlin' for you".

Not their best album but still enjoyable.

Same old same old

Meh

I mean I liked it

soooo mediocre indie. fifa soundtrack vibes

Decent

Real good. Listened to this one a lot

The first Black Keys album I heard - it still holds up! There are some really good tracks here. Never Gonna Give You Up is regrettably not a Rick Astley cover song.

I'm not the biggest fan of these guys in general but this is a pretty creative and good album.

I’ve always liked their sound but hadn’t gotten past their hits before. Enjoyed this.

Einbeitingin hefur verið upptekin við annað síðustu vikur en þetta góða verkefni, og ég hef byrjað mjög oft á þessari plötu án þess annað hvort ná henni heilli í gegn eða gefið þá athygli sem hún á skilda. En nú eftir nokkrar brotakenndar hlustanir fatta ég að þetta er barasta fínasta stöff.

I like them and this is good, really good, sounded great in the car. But will I play it much? Probably not. Favourite track is 'I'm Not The One'. If this hasn't been used in a film or TV drama then it should be!

Feels funny rating an album this low that has so many tracks that I really like! Everlasting Light is a really underrated song. I love the steady and deliberate tempo, and the sampled(?) vocals always struck me as super unique. That opener is followed by a strong run from Next Girl, to Tighten Up (another favourite), to Howlin For You, to Shes Long Gone. I like all these tracks, and had them previously liked. Funnily enough, all songs mentioned here are the opening 5 songs!! Just not quite as memorable after these, which brings down the overall album experience. Listened while cooking Sweet Potato and Peanut Curry with Lucy 🧑‍🍳 👩‍🍳

El Camino >>>>>

Nice, groovy, kinda spiritual Some tracks got me deeper

enkele zeer goeie nummers, maar naar het einde toe is het vat af

I always thought Everlasting Light was a great song. Those two singles, though… oof the amount of radio and ad fatigue from those two. Solid album cuts, too.

Stripped-back, bluesy album with raw, hypnotic grooves. Most tracks circle around a chord or two, simple four-four beats, and basic riffs — it’s not complex, but that’s the charm. The songs share the same recipe, different flavour, yet Tighten Up, Howlin’ for You, Next Girl, and Everlasting Light hit perfectly. Lyrics fade into the background sometimes but that doesn’t matter. It’s all about tone, texture, and feel. Fuzzy guitars, laid-back swagger, and minimal production. Catchy, and full of character. Favourite track - Everlasting Light. 8/10

I like the singles by the Black Keys, though they all kind of sound the same. This album was more enjoyable than I thought it would be, but really all of their songs have a really similar sound. Still, well made and a fun listen.

Bit boring. Earlier stuff better.

Not for me

Was never that fussed about Black Keys, but everything Danger Mouse produces sounds lovely

Great memories from this one! Still holds

I loved this album but I feel like they're slowly becoming cringe, but it was entertaining me and it was long. I think it'd be a 3.5 really. 3 is harsh

Used to love this back in the day and I was excited to listen to it, but hi, it did not do it for me. Some guitar riffs still hold up, but overall it feels a bit lazy and riff-dependant.

Solid Rock/Blues album

Groovier than i expected as whole, I am already pretty familiar with the hits but I was excited by songs like The Only One and Too Afraid to Love You

This was okay, I’m not a giant fan or anything but playing through the album changed my view a bit. I’ll revisit this for sure.

I love the Black Keys. I'm going to try to be unbiased, but with the first notes of Everlasting Light, I know this is a five star album. Every song is good, Next Girl, Tighten Up, Howlin' for You...they're all awesome. The drums from Howlin' for You remind me of Rock and Roll, Part 2 by Gary Glitter. Sinister Kid is one of my favorite songs, not just from the Black Keys. A sinister kid/Is a kid who/Runs to meet his maker/A drop dead sprint from the day he's born/Straight into his maker's arms/And that's me, that's me/The boy with the broken halo/And that's me, that's me/The Devil won't let me be is a great chorus. It's stupid but I also love the album cover. Great band, great album.

I like the Black Keys, but the more I listen to them the less I like them. Not sure what's happening?

#137/1001. This was a new band to me. Alica keyes vs black eyed peas vs. Black sabbath / crowes or what? This could benefit from a second listen, and out of the many savers of rocknroll inevitably on this book/list for me sounds interesting enough, although everything is so retro it must have been planned meticulously. But I'm buying it!

Me gusto pero un poco soft y repetitivo, 1 o 2 estan buenas pero como album ñe, tb me harto un poco la voz a lo ultimo

Some bangers, some filler, decent!

Listened to the band before : Yes Songs I already knew: none Favourite Songs: Tighten Up, Howlin' For You Tighten Up sounds reminds me of Pumped up Kicks. The same hooks and riffs I have heard before on some of there other material. Howlin' For You sounds like T.Rex. The songs become repetitive at times. They have distinctive sound.

It's funky, and unmistakenly the Black Keys within a few notes of the first track. There's a swagger and a positively that exudes from the speakers and infects the listener.

My reaction to this one was weird and frustrating! I really liked all the components--the growly bluesy vocals, the buzzy fuzzy instruments. Even the lyrics seemed pretty decent. But it was just all so SAMEY? Howling for You, and Ten Cent Pistol, and especially Sinister Kid kinda stood out, but even those I would have liked more if I'd come across them individually in the wild rather than them being surrounded by So Much More of Nearly the Same? I feel like I need to revisit the whole album one song at a time, weeks apart. Weird! And frustrating!

oh brother this guy stinks

This is something I could liste any time I need to create relaxing atmosphere. Kind of music that suits me but doesn't touch me deeply...

- this breathes new life into blues rock. as more and more artists are drifting toward very precise digital drums and effects, a thick, bluesy guitar riff and the singer's very recognizable vocals are a nice change and keep that kind of rougher sound alive - "Tighten Up" was on a CD mix I received as a Christmas present from my friend in high school (remember those?) and "Howlin' for You" is a song my husband's band covers regularly, so I'll always have a spot spot for this band and their hits - not my favorite group, and I don't particularly feel inspired to check out the rest of their discography after listening to this album in its entirety, but it's definitely fun and certainly memorable

Easy listen, good at what they do, makes sense, doesn't ever really grab me much.

Well done kind of bluesy rock. Doesn't really do much to elevate the genre, but put together a solid album. The track Too Afraid to Love You would be really cool with Ghostface Killah doing something over it.

Polarizing. The band who writes songs you love and hate at the same time. Complexly simple.

Kinda whatever. I remember when this came out and it was big-time on the alt radio station I listened to at the time. The hits are pretty decent and the whole package is alright. Nothing special. I remember liking rubber soul much more back then. Couldn't tell you if thay would be the case today but at the time that was it. I like the vocals but the music itself feels kinda simple and just uneventful. Its good but nothing to write home about

I've only heard Howlin' for You from this band, I think from MLB The Show. Sometimes I'm looking at the critical acclaim for albums on here and see "Was named one of Spin's top 40 albums of 2010." So this wasn't even the best album of 2010 according to Spin....it was #30....soooo what about all those albums more acclaimed than this one from 2010? Are those albums on here too? It's a good rock album, but sometimes I'd like a bit more explanation on why this album specifically was chosen because i'm missing something. There is a bluesy vibe, but I don't think this sound is super unique at this point. Maybe it was more unique in 2010? The music is pretty good, but i'm not really finding anything beyond that. In terms of albums you should listen to before you die, I'm sure I could find a better one not on the list that might give a more unique perspective to music.

"This is nice cup of espresso" THIS IS DECAFF, YOU BASTARDS!

This wasn’t too bad but I don’t think it was anything special

Great album - good to learn a fab new band thx!

Офигенно! Звук удивляет пульсацией создается эффект паралакса. Не надоедает но целостность присутствует. Захотелось послушать еще альбомы этой группы

While I never had anything against the Black Keys (other than Patrick Carney coming off like kind of a dick sometimes), I never had any interest in listening to them, either. This is better than I expected, though I wonder how much of that is my affinity for the source material. "Never Gonna Give You Up" could've been a Stax song in the '60s, for instance. But this is enjoyable regardless, even if it's not something I'm likely to seek out.

It's all pleasant and admirable enough, but are we really not going to collectively admit that this band is basically the same 2 or 3 songs over and over? Rounding up for Ohio pride.

I think they’re great but super overhyped

79/100. Raw, punchy, and full of swagger. A garage rock/blues rock classic. Some tracks stand out more than others, but as a whole, it captures a mood so well.

Brothers has a gritty, blues-rock vibe that clearly resonated with a lot of listeners at the time, but as a full album it can feel repetitive and overstretched. Tracks like “Tighten Up” and “Howlin’ for You” bring some catchy riffs and a bit of swagger, but the formula wears thin quickly. The production is murky on purpose, giving it a lo-fi edge, yet after a while it starts to feel more like a limitation than a style. There are sparks of energy here and there, but too many songs tread the same ground without offering much new. Instead of building momentum, the record often drags, making its hour-long runtime feel longer than it should. Brothers has a few strong singles, but as an album it does not hold up well, weighed down by its own sameness.

This was almost a 5/5 for me when it came out. I cooled a bit towards it over time — I think their earlier stuff, although less catchy, has more of a staying power.

Ah, it’s one of those fairly bland bluesy rock albums. Not really my cup of tea (bet you couldn’t tell that from my opening sentence). Doubt they’ll be too upset though as they’ve sold millions of albums worldwide. I’m half way through the album as I write this - and I’ll see it out, but can’t imagine the music will suddenly give me an epiphany and change my mind 30+ minutes. …Yep, no epiphany received.

Fine. Bit samey

Enjoyed this a lot more than I expected too. At points it made me think of Nick Cave. I think this could easily rise to a four with more listens

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.

Fuckin’ awful!

190925 12:25 3

the longest song I've heard

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

I love the black keys and this is my favourite album they have done. One critical point would be maybe 3- 4 four tracks to long other wise would be all killer

Decent album. I have a nostalgic affinity for The Black Keys, which biases me a bit. This album has a major slump in the middle for me. The opening songs were a great start, but things got lost and blended together somewhere along the way.

Let Me Be Your Everlasting Light 1001 Albums Generator 121 (09/18/2025) The Black Keys are kind of like the Portland version of the blues. I don't know if they are actually from Portland, but I think you know what I mean (also this isn't a racial thing; I am a huge Led Zeppelin defender). Nothing wrong with Portland, nothing wrong with the blues, but the combination leaves a bit to be desired. The two big hits off of Brothers are Tighten Up, which sounds exactly like a Kia commercial, and Howlin' For You, which isn't bad honestly. Generally, the worst part of Brothers is definitely the middle; the stretch from Black Mud to I'm Not The One is not super enjoyable. However, Ten Cent Pistol isn't bad. The album starts out really strong with Everlasting Light and Next Girl before the two aforementioned hits. She's Long Gone has a bit of garage grit that is really cool. Additionally, the album ends with three of its strongest songs. Unknown Brother has great guitar work, and although I was disappointed that Never Gonna Give You Up wasn't a Rick Astley cover, it still ended up being one of my favorite songs. I don't know what to do with this one. It's like exactly a 2.5/5, but I'll round it up to a 3. Favs: Everlasting Light Next Girl Never Gonna Give You Up Least Fav: The Go Getter

It was good, the black keys have a husky vibe. The songs were nice sounding, I recognised quite a few of them. Very enjoyable.

I've already listened to his album (14). Sounds great but too long, too much filler and too many ballads.

Really enjoyed this during morning wine at the cabin. It’s fun! But all of the guitar sounds the same

I had never really listened to the Black Keys and I enjoyed parts of this, but probably won't return to it.

I liked this less than I thought I would

Comfortable and familiar. Feels Older than it is. Grunge but modern.

ok 300th. so you hate this beause you think only led zep and white stripes are white artists who makes good blues rock. but comon its ok innit 3/5

I can’t let the unoriginal nature of this music get in the way of the fact it’s a really listenable album. Very white stripes.

A mix of old school blues and stoner rock like no other. Energy and soul!

I really didn't know how to feel about this one. I did at least 4 playthroughs in the end, but just couldn't shake the feeling that it's just kind of rock and roll-by-numbers. Dig the production and everything, but the songs just didn't jump out at me really. I feel like I should like it, but yeah. I'm sorry.

So many bangers on one album. Really enjoyed this album. It was good.

Смешанное отношение к группе, но запись увлекал.

Really good. Felt like a game changer album when it first came out and still holds up well, just doesn’t feel as special or unique as it felt at the time. I can hear the Danger Mouse production much more today then I did at the time.

Low-fi bluesy rock. Wouldn’t regard it as life-changing or hugely different or interesting.

the first half of this is so much stronger than the last half and truly it is a middle of the road album, but plus one star for the nostalgia of it all.

howlin 4 u !!

At what point did someone decide "white people playing blues for the indie crowd" was something that needed to exist? It's just boring and unimaginative.

This is mostly catchy, simple, straight forward blues rock that is mostly about the vibes. It seems a lot of reviewers on here have made the mistake of overthinking and over-intellectualizing it, don't make the same mistake.

The cover doesn't lie. This is in fact an album by the Black Keys. The album is named Brothers. Those are both true statements. You know what else is a true statement? "I liked this album." Yeah, this is pretty good. It's definitely one of the more well-known rock albums of the past 15 years or so to be included on this list. I feel like this list gets a lot wrong with that sort of field, but this inclusion is absolutely justified. There's quite a bit to like here. The production is excellent. It's bluesy but also fairly modern. I really like it. It does a lot to make the instrumentation hit harder. Speaking of which, it's pretty cool that all this music comes from two guys. Good stuff. The album's hits are hits for a reason, because they're pretty great. "Tighten Up" especially is such an engaging listen, but also relatively radio-friendly. That sort of balance is nice to see. Brothers isn't perfect though. It's a little long, the lyrics aren't generally my favorite, and the "White Stripes knockoff" allegations aren't completely unjustifiable, but Brothers is what it needs to be. A collection of strong songs. I like this. 4/5.

It says that Tighten Up was their most successful single to date, and though I enjoy it, I enjoy Howling for You more. Good example of garage rock, and you don't even miss the bass player.

Today I learned there’s a lot more to The Black Keys than their singles. This was a great album, not a song went by that I wanted to skip. Each had their own soul and feel and it flowed well all the way through. This one surprised me, I always thought of them as single hunters by nah, this is a great album.

Generally liked it. The songs did all start to sound the same on the third listen. Thats said, a solid album with guitar work that's largely missing from today's rock.

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

What is the point of this? It’s a bit nondescript, I have come to the understanding that this list just, well is subjective so the why is this on here question is redundant but… Sort of blues, mildly interesting just. Not getting into the authenticity thing, They seem to genuinely like the music they make, if they like the blues then if they want to sing and play it not a problem with me, like what you want, do what you want as long as it doesn’t piss on anyone else. But I personally didn’t gain much hearing this today and found it just a little, well boring, if others love it then fine but not moved one way or the other, didn’t like didn’t hate. 2.25 Star

Rating: 0.6 The Black Keys and their wretched Lorax soundtrack Bastille ass millennial sensibilities need to retire now. The whole thing was offensive musically, tired lyrically, and pointless conceptually. I think this species of weird gross hipster is dying out and it can’t come soon enough.

Banger after banger after banger, literally belt this shit out every time I listen.

Solid blues rock…they are probably great live.

Jag älskade den den här skivan när den släpptes. Mitt favoritband. Sen tappade jag intresset, har inte lyssnat på säkert 10 år. Ganska bra, men egentligen inget för mig längre.

Good Songs: Everlasting Light, Next Girl, Tighten Up, Howlin' For You, The Only One, Ten Cent Pistol, The Go Getter, These Days Mid Songs: She's Long Gone, Black Mud, Too Afraid To Love You, Sinister Kid, Unknown Brother, Never Gonna Give You Up Bad Songs:

Great album, top to bottom! Nearly flawless for my tastes and sadly the last of their album I can say that for. I do miss the duo days. Then again, I miss Richard Swift. 4.5/ 5

Cool album. I knew the singles but not the rest. The slightly grungy rock-blues vibe is very good across the whole album. Just a good album to throw on and groove to.

Very quiet vocals in first sung compared to other instruments Catchy beats Absolutely do not like “howling for you” Decent background music but not my fav

Fajne, jako odskocznia od popularnego rocka; nie moje ulubione ale jako urozmaicenie ok

Always the best

Stripped to the bone rock'n'roll. Enjoyable to listen to for awhile, but then it got a bit boring. Not essential for me.

The Black Keys is another one of those bands that I want to like, but I just can't catch their groove.

Catchy but not that interesting

I've always thought it would make sense for The Black Keys to make raucous garage rock like their two-person band counterparts The White Stripes and Japandroids. Which makes these mid-tempo, safe songs sound pretty jarring. Even once I adjust my expectations, it's hard for me to find anything special about this. The production is clean enough to remove most of its edge outside of the vocal effects that make it feel "old." It lacks memorable riffs and impressive instrumental moments are rare. And the songs mostly stick to the same formula. Which to be fair, is also true of the blues this is emulating, but this lacks the passion, grit, and vocal emotion of blues. I'm not even a blues fan and I'd rather listen to any classic blues over this.

5/10

Okay, it has one or two mildly enjoyable songs, but overall it's so BORING, that I would let it play only in some crappy roadside pub, where I won't stay too long.

Good. But not that good.

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.

Álbum de rock muito bom. Algumas faixas não me cativaram quanto às iniciais e a maior parte do meio do projeto. 8/10

I used to listen to this album a lot. I hadn’t heard it in years and it sounds so boring to me now. I probably liked it at one point because a lot of the punk/post-punk/whatever stuff I was listening to didn’t touch on blues at all, so this sounded fresh and new. I find it boring and generic now. Sort of soulless.

Very good indie rock.

really love this album a lot , but its inclusion on this list is a joke

I fully agree with all of the one star reviews. 4 stars though.

Good three, not a bad three

The Black Keys are a fine band and have many great albums under their belt. Listening to Brothers again, made me appreciate the album once again even though I don't think it's their best album. It certainly is one of the grooviest though since both of them started recording the rhythm section first. You can hear that approach and it works.

The dream of the 2010. Is alive and well

First listen

Meh. Pretty fun at times, irritating at others. Found the sound and stuck with it. Muscle Shoals recording, kinda cool.

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.

Love Everlasting Light. Tighten Up was my fucking jam in high school. Sounded like some recycling kicked in when I hit the The Only One (resembled Tighten Up with a different rhythm and vocal). A little long, but this album still represents an awesome 2000s rock sound with a handful of hits

I liked the Black Keys back in the day and have forever known the fun fact that Akron produced LeBron, Devo, and these guys. I thought I had more positive feelings, but relistening to this today - I’m not so sure. Here I enjoyed Tighten Up and Howlin’ but the rest was a bit of unmemorable mush. BK is two guys (Dan on guitar, Patrick on drums) and I read recently that they both only played guitar when they formed and Dan was better, so Patrick took the drums, but is also famously bad at keeping time. Fine for a two piece, but apparently that has been tough as they needed to add more instruments to fill bigger venues. I think their album Attack & Release might be a little more interesting but now I’m afraid to listen.

Smooth garage rock

V/rv

Solid all the way trough. The black keys are certainly a discovery to be further explored

Lol, all the WhItE pPl mAkInG BlAcK pPL's mUSic takes are so stale. We get it, you went to college. One used to learn how to have an original thought there. Album is great. Deserves to be on this list, but not the only one. Still a crock that Neil Young has 9 albums on this list. Thickfreakness, Rubber Factory, Magic Potion, Chulahoma, El Camino, Turn Blue. All better than anything Young ever did. The obvious gen Z / Millennial reviews are getting worse than the boomers. Jfc

good, not great. Has the hits. Caught between pastiche and originality. Would listen again

Back when Black Keys still sounded fresh and hadn't sold their songs to every commercial on TV. Oversaturation did them in. Inexplicably adding more musicians to the band for tours didn't help either. But at one point, this band was exciting and vibrant and a powerhouse. This album is a testament to that.

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

The Black Keys höre ich auch so öfter und kannte einige der Songs. Good Stuff. FAVs: Tighten Up, Too afraid to love

8/10 good songs

I am not a huge black keys fan. But this album hit me in a good place today. I do wish the vocals didn’t sound so distorted so often. It’s really distracting and a lot of times I feel like it’s not adding anything.