Reviews (page 8 of 14)
I came to the Black Keys for raw, real, bluesy guitar and loose, muscular but nuanced drumming. Didn't need bass, synths, or an "atmospheric" or "retro" production package, but there's so much production, the Black Keys are almost entirely lost. Just try to image the Black Keys as a two-piece garage band while you're listening to this... it no longer makes sense. This is a Danger Mouse album. It's so Danger Mouse, that the fact that only one track was produced by Danger Mouse makes be think that Dan Auerbach spent the last album learning Danger Mouse studio tricks and then imitated them all in this album. Dan Auerbach's voice still anchors the album well enough, and there's some good tracks I just can't help but enjoy, mostly "Howlin' For You" and "Black Mud," but the rest kinda blurs together. 2.5/5
I wanted to like this alot more than I did. Just didn't hit
Solid album by a band i only know by singles. Enjoyed the album but wasn’t blown away by it.
3.5/5
This was pretty good. I only knew Howlin For You off of it. Probably more like a 7/10 then a 6/10 - but I think I would only get a couple of listens out of this.
If we could do halves, this would be a 3.5 but it's definitely not a 4 so...
I’ve listened to the album three times today and read others’ reviews. I get what people are saying. This is safe, not exceptional, and maybe even a little car commercially. But during my listens, I never got bored and I liked every song. That has got to mean something. I am giving it a 4. And I reserve the right to change it to a 3 or 5 after listening to it some more. Okay, I got bored. It’s a 3😆
150. not bad
Pretty solid bluesy rock album. Only ever heard a few of their songs up to this point, but full listen was interesting. Not super attention grabbing but sets a nice mood.
Didn't realize that the first few tracks are a real great set of hits --- "Howlin' For You" is still great. Learning that this is a divorce album adds some color to it. Still, the middle gets a little same-y and I don't love the underwater sound on some of it. Great closer though.
Decent
not really my type i found it really similar with the neighbourhood and artic monkeys n allat booze and i dont really enjoy listening to them so yeah but this was alright overall
I like the Black Keys simple, thumpy sound. Album opens strong with “Everlasting Light.” It is a very similar sound throughout, though, so I began to tune it out. It’s a bit repetitive. Solid album though. “These Days” caught my ear.
Had some hits but nothing to write home about
A consistently enjoyable album, but it's almost too safe. A great first effort but it lacks the depth, power, and experimentation of their later stuff.
Not bad. ★★★
A masterclass in how not to sequence an album, blows it's load in the first six or so songs - which are very enjoyable and follows it up with nine of so less noteworthy ones. I like the cover of Never Gonna Give You Up, controversially - the Black Keys have a lot of great covers (maybe more than they have great originals)
What came first, the Black Keys, or the White Stripes?
This was much better than I thought it would be. Would be a 4 if it were 20 minutes shorter.
6/10
I get the appeal, but it got boring pretty fast for me.
Ставлю класс за то что эту фигню можно послушать на стриминге в отличие от двух предыдущих
Boring aah music
6/10 Some decent songs, but it drags a bit in places
It’s funny, as someone who never gravitated towards rock music, I was super into this album when it came out. I think their sound made me nostalgic for something I never really experienced or understood in the first place. Now that I understand more of their reference points and context (thanks in part to this challenge) I can adequately describe this band as: competent. Everything is totally in its place. Everything sounds exactly as it should (shout out Danger Mouse). But they never dare push against the boundaries they set for themselves in becoming a down-the-center blues rock band, and the result is something impressively listenable but incapable of reflecting anything personal, interesting or unique about them as a band or as people. FWIW, El Camino is better. #MichelleBranchForever
Can't quite put my finger on what I don't like about this. I can't discern a particular genre or any influences--it just sort of rambles along? It's not very--melodic? The songs lack structure? Hovering between 2 stars and 3 stars. Leaning toward two because of the negative je ne sais quoi of the whole thing, but I didn't hate it as much as it just sort of made me uneasy. I guess 2.5, which rounds up to 3.
I can see the cynicism others have for this album, but i tried to put this aside. Decent blues influence rock, and the guitar tones are great and I like the soul/stax/motown influence on it. Production is overly loud though which undermines the old school aesthetic.
aldrig riktigt lyssnar på enskilda projekt av bandet men nog värt att lyssna på, 3/5
3/5. Några bra låtar och bra stil, men lite för långdraget tycker jag.
Nice like a hip hop vibe, nth special but i liked it, i would give 3.5/5, but i m gonna give 3.
The songs seem to follow this strange pattern of being repetitive for most of the song and then doing something interesting in the last 30 seconds. I found it generally enjoyable but not very memorable High 3
I made a noise similar to getting into a jacuzzi for the first time when finally listening to this.
2.5 but because I like them, went with a 3
Never want to hear Gold on the ceiling ever again, but shit this album sounds great. Low end sounds fantastic and a great heavy blues theme across the whole record. Glad to have given this one a go. Heaps of songs on there that are way better than what I've heard from this band.
Very familiar with this album - received a lot of airplay in the early 2010s. There was a simplicity here with the 2-player format like White Stripes that was attractive during the era. Listening today the songs feel a bit played and stuck to that era. While Tighten Up remains a favorite, I'm not sure I'd put this on for a regular listen. I've listened to a lot of older albums here and graded them higher than I might have originally. This might be the first time I hear and album in ~10 years and ask what did I see here; what did I like so much? What seemed fresh and amazing then is mid today. 3/5
It's ok. I like El Camino better. This is probably their 2nd best?
Great musicianship, but albums like this make me realize I love a tight 40-50 minute album with 10 tracks.
Was not familiar with this band. Don't know much at all about this genre either. Garage band music? However, I somehow listened to this album twice and realised that it was growing on me. The next girlfriend track for example.
This album screams 2010s indie rock-pop, with a distinctive, fuzzy sound that stands out at first but becomes pretty repetitive by the end. The single Howlin’ For You is great, though.
good
Absolutely lover this one. Resisted the band for a long time because if I hear Gold on the Ceiling one more time I'll lose it. But this was full of great tracks, the production is unique, refreshing and very satisfying, lots of buzzy, electronic and raw low rhythmic and percussion sounds, and a genuine pop sheer enjoyableness that felt particularly great after Mellon Collie
Unknown Brother
Smiths>White Stripes>Black Keys
Listened on 4/10/26. Heres my thoughts on some of the songs. "shes long gone" not the best I heard. its alright. I don't like the guitar parts either. thoughts on "never gonna give you up": I do like the lyrics and the way how he delivers it with his voice. very catchy and I like the instrumentals in this. "tighten up": I didn't really enjoy the start of it. highlight of this song begins at the end when everything switches. best song on this album I would say is,"never gonna give u up". its different from the rest of the songs and it has more emotion. the way how he sings in this song is more catchy. it becomes more listenable overtime. the other songs in the album I don't think I would listen to them twice. Everlasting light is ranked top 5. I like the image this song gives. all the other songs have that vibe of car rides and "enjoying life" but this one gives more cozy, a little more romantic, and surprising. I also do like the end as well. "unknown brother" the lyrics is more bold and outgoing. "these days", more emotional, slow, meaningful. I would love to hear this song in a concert. Overall I would say the best song on this album is "Never Gonna Give You Up".
5/10
It's a pretty decent album. Howlin' For You is obviously one of their most influential tracks, but the rest of the album is just okay.
It ws a decent enough album.
Pleasantly surprised by this album. Best song for me was "Keep my name Outta your mouth"
Enjoyed, a bit repetitive though
really interesting sound, super grimy and gritty, but ultimately it just didnt resonate with me super hard, still cool though
I didn’t mind this, but it seemed like the sound on the vocals was purposefully distorted on some of the tracks, which I think really detracts from these songs…I don’t understand what they are going for here. I didn’t have time to listen to the whole album, but based on the sample size, I’ll give it three stars?
Boa banda não conhecia
It's okay but nothing special.
Cool, calm album
A good dirty grungy Blues album. I'm glad I gave it a chance, howling for you was on the radio so much when it came out that I got sick of the sound. Listening to the album a few years removed helped me to appreciate it.
𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 opens with a strong run of tracks, where the band’s mix of blues rock and soul feels engaging and well-paced. The grooves are tight, and the sound is cohesive, making for an immediately appealing first half. As the album progresses, though, it starts to lose focus. The later tracks don’t stand out as much, and the overall momentum fades. What begins as a compelling listen gradually turns more repetitive, leaving a less lasting impression.
I enjoy some Keys, I enjoyed these particular Keys less than I anticipated but enjoyed nonetheless
hmmm I just feel like the 21st century representation we’re getting is for the most part not things I would choose. I understand this is kinda the breakout black keys album but to my ears the follow up El Camino is way more exciting and better songs (although maybe seen as too sell out?) Anyway I expected more. Also one of the songs (can’t remember which) reminded me very strongly of the Jack White Alicia Keys James Bond song
now THIS is an album i can get behind
It's the beginning of Black Keys' transition into boredom, doing the same thing over and over again. The Foo Fighter-fication of a fun new/old sound. But there are some bangers here for sure.
It’s a bit too long and repetitive, the basic blues jams with distortion gets a bit tiresome, there are some really good tracks in there but it’s too padded out to be a classic. Solid if unexceptional. 3.4
This is a solid album, but if I had to choose a Black Keys record, I'm not sure it would be the one I'd put on this list. 'Howling For You' still sounds great though. 3.5/5.
(61/100)
yeah i’m a millennial and i like when things are repeating for 40+ minutes
It's 2010, I'm 17 years old in a Slayer T-shirt and sitting in a park after school on Friday with half of the grade - it's one of those early summer afternoons which calls for all the different social classes to put aside teenage convention and have a session together. A few hours in, the popular kids who control the speaker have decided that it's "time to rock" and shake their perfect hair around while making devil horns with their thumbs out. You hope that if they get drunker, they'll forget that you've been deemed unfuckable. You hope that if you get drunker, you'll put aside your pretentions and connect with the only bit of rock (apart from that one Thunderstruck remix that was everywhere for a while) they seem to know. Neither ever happened - and although certain people haven't ever admitted they were horribly wrong and would obviously have had a cosmically great time with me, I have at least come to enjoy the soulful fuzz and groovy desert vibes on great display here. Favourite tracks: Everlasting Light, Sinister Kid, The Go Getter
banco
Black Keys for me is what a duo should be doing. Their gritty guitar riffs and tight drums just make for a groovy head-bang. Dan's voice is very memorable for me. There's a real warmth to their riffs.
After the two hits, most of this album sounds the same.
Sonaba bueno, no me pareció memorable
3.5/5
Tighten Up // Howlin’ For You // Black Mud // 3.5/5
Man this album really drops off hard. The first 5 tracks are great, then it's straight doodoo water.
I remember a song or 2 from this album when my kids were in high school, but the album doesn't stand out. There's a couple of notable songs. I don't know why this is on the list. Pitchfork: 7.2 Rolling Stone: Best Songs Howlin' for You
Not bad, not really great. The Black Keys are overhated, but nothing to write home about either.
This is so close to being a 4. It’s only real issues are being WAY too long, and being way too boxed in with a specific sound. Now whether or not having an established identifiable sound is more important than variety, well that’s sort of a hard question to answer. But in my personal opinion, this album is exactly why you need more variety on an album. Like you start the album and you think “ oh this is fun it’s like very basic and stripped down old-school blues rock. But then after like the seventh song of the same simple blues rock, your brain just starts to get painfully bored. Like you need something else in there to breath life into this album every once in awhile, cause it’s even more deflating cause they didn’t even invent or pioneer this sound, so it makes them feel more and more like a complicated tribute band. And honestly that’s my problem with the band as a whole is that they just feel like a “been there done that” type of artist. Like Greta van fleet, I like Led Zeppelin, but even Led Zeppelin got sick and tired of Led Zeppelin. Think I’m lying? Go listen to their best album III, there so much variety on that thing. But yah, good band, good album, mediocre music as a whole.
Generally OK blues rock, but nothing new here to hear
C'était intéressant mais pour l'instant pas de musique qui me transcende, c'est bien mais sans plus, après là tout l'album mla plutôt bien plu ce qui n'est pas toujours le cas donc c'est déjà bien. On va dire que ça serait un 3 ou 3,5/5 mais c'est dur de noter
piola
Fine™️
C’est corec et la cover est cool
It’s not a 4
It's OK. Probably better on re-listen, but nothing especially caught be here.
Dependable
I liked the sound and vibe of the album as a whole. Want to listen to more of their stuff because of this.
The sound of this album is quite unoriginal. It doesnt specifically stick out to me and therefore will make no lasting impression. Overall, it isnt bad just nothing surprisingly special. There are some songs on here which I did enjoy but the complete album just feels a little repetitive.
3.5
# Album Name: Brothers # Artist: Black Keys # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: Not a bad album. Couple of good tracks but overall a tad too long for me. # Top Tunes: Next girl / tighten up / howlin for you # Would I listen to it again? Some of it
couple good songs i know, the rest was ok. like a vibe but not todays vibe
first half is great, but the end of the album is soooo boring. good enough still
This was a bluesy, funky, surprise. Outside of the fact that Archie Bell and the Drells are the only ones that should ever play a song called Tighten Up, I liked it.
It was okay, but not the type of genre I would usually listen to.
Solo hay dos canciones buenas. Nada personal, pero este álbum fue aburrido de escuchar </3
Kind of the same thing after a while.
As much as I enjoyed a couple of songs, as an album it becomes a bit of a strain. Would listen to singles again.
So awesome
Oikein kelpo rokkia ja tunnelmasta huokuu Ameriikan meininki. Olipahan levyllä yks tuttu biisi NHL11 pelistäkin
Ihan kiva saundimaailma, osa biiseistä jäi kyllä tyhjäksi, lätkästään kuitenkin KOLKKI
that's a fantastic album cover; it's simultaneously self-effacing and attention-grabbing, a little like the music of the Black Keys itself. the title, Brothers, reads like an affirmation of the friendship between its two members, guitarist/singer Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney. it's a sweet gesture, especially if you know anything about the history of the band, and the recording of this album in particular! the main criticism this Ohioan duo gets from the likes of us terminally online music geeks is that their sound is highly derivative of a whole swath of other garage rock bands, both from the genre's mid-60s heyday and its revival in the 21st century by bands like the White Stripes, whose similar name and place of origin certainly didn't do them any favors. my natural instinct in these scenarios is to play defense but, yeah, we kinda have a point there, don't we? their particular brand of bluesy guitar music is well-executed, but also pretty well-trodden. it's not like the music of the Black Keys is without any merits at all though; often, they're quite likeable! the sound of this record is particularly magnificent, a bass-heavy retro feel that the band and producer/engineer Mark Neill credited to the acoustics of Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, where the bulk of this music was recorded. (for what it's worth, I listened to the 10th anniversary remix/remaster.) by this point in their career, the Keys were less averse to overdubbing more and more instrumental layers, but their mixing gear limited them to 10 tracks maximum in most cases. hopefully Neill doesn't feel too bad about the fact that the biggest hit on Brothers was the one song he didn't work on; I remember hearing the Danger Mouse-assisted "Tighten Up" on college radio a lot about a decade or so ago, and it's still a pretty good track all these years later. unfortunately, the band's aforementioned derivative nature tends to do them in, especially as they begin to repeat themselves; I'm not sure this music really justifies 15 songs and 55 minutes of runtime. decent 6/10.
rock/funk buenos bajos en las bases, variado, muy musical, estilo alt-j,
пайдет с пивом
I thought I was going to latch on to these boys, but they didn't stick. Good stuff though.
I think a weak 3 for this, nothing about it particularly bad just a bit generic, and quite long for how samey it is. I think I’d be happy enough to listen to any of the tracks on their own if they came up in a playlist but all in a row is a bit much. I did quite like “Too Afraid to Love You” and “The Only One”
There seems to be a lot of hate for this album, which I don't understand. I knew of The Black Keys, and was familiar with a few of their songs, but this was my first listen to a full album of theirs and I actually really enjoyed it! Good, bluesy rock - definitely worth more than 1 or 2 stars!
Listened before, gets old :/
7/10 Fun songs with a good sound but not really my thing. A bit samey overall but good nontheless. The overall length of the album was a bit much.
I've never listened to these guys before, and I had fun! It didn't do way too much for me, but was definitely way better than some of the stuff we've had... I'll have to listen to more of their stuff
A few songs I’ve always jammed to, but overall this is just ok. 2.5-3
It's a bit overrated but not terrible to listen to. Good background music
Brothers felt very Artic Monkeys-esque; fuzzy bass, raw guitar tones. I was digging this album a lot. Maybe could've been 1-2 songs shorter, but strong.
Slickly produced blues rock with a bit of a kick to it. If I were in a grouchier mood, this might not be my thing just on the optics (you can't be singing like that, white baby (Jack White not innocent)) but I think that the backlash to Brothers by the commentariat class might be a touch overstated. Saw a good review elsewhere that made the point that the The Black Keys circa the time of recording of Brothers could never have known that the music they were making here would become the de facto "music for commercials' for the entire upcoming decade, that their nominally counter-culture hipster homages would become synonymous with Old Navy & Dodge commercials, that it would be Tighten Up in particular that would usher this in. I'm sympathetic to that. Creedence Clearwater Revival probably wasn't thrilled that their protest anthems became uncritically repurposed to evoke Vietnam nostalgia. And I've spent a decent chunk of time listening to Daptone's output which is just doing smoother Motown for Motown nostalgists. We're all looking for the past! Favorite Tracks: Howlin For You, Ten Cent Pistol, I'm Not the One, Unknown Brother
Decent, walked so El Camino could run.
5/10
I liked this album, right up my alley it seems, but i will have to give it a few more listens
Dit hele album voelt als een hele grote brei van hetzelfde. Toen het uitkwam en ik nog een puber was bleef vond ik het wel interessant, maar het is nooit blijven plakken. Het klopt wel allemaal, maar dat alles zo precies klopt maakt het ook niet heel spannend. Het is ook niet iets wat mensen nog nooit eerder hebben gemaakt. The strokes of arctic monkeys waren hun al voor. Ik ben ondertussen al een beetje uitgekeken op het genre. Toch is het wel ergens goed.
Weer een album waarbij je kan prima doodgaan zonder het album te luisteren. De productie is goed, de stem is ook goed. Toen het uitkwam was het ok, nu luister je het weer en tis wat saaier geworden maar tis ok. Niet bijzonder voor mij. Niet een fan maar heb ook geen haat. 2.5
The Black keys zijn een periode erg hot geweest en ik vat dat wel. Ik geloof dat de mannen lang in hun muzieklabaratorium hebben gezeten om uiteindelijk met The Black Keys sound te komen, en dit sloeg aan bij het grote publiek. bluesey achtige gitaarsound met een beetje galm, en ook op de vocals hoor je die galm samen met dat distorded effect wat opbreekt op het moment dat hij hard gaat zingen. Ik vind de sound ook wel tof, maar ergens krijg ik ook het gevoel dat het een beetje een gimmick wordt waar je als band voor moet oppassen omdat dat op gegeven moment ook een beetje saai en eentonig kan worden. Al met al kan ik het album waarderen, het begint sterk maar de tweede helft zwakt het wat af.
re movido lo re banque me costo un poco terminarlo porq era medio repetitivo pero eso es tener una esencia definida, muy solido.
1 - Everlasting Light - **** -Bass **** -Drums Pattern ***** (+1 for the claps/tambourine) -Vocals *** (really love the bg vocals tho (Shoowahhhh) -Lyrics **** -Synth FX ***** (melts really good with the claps) 2 - Next Girl - ***/5 -Bass *** -Drum Pattern **** -Gtrs *** (The left side so crunchyy) -Vocals *** -Chords and Melodies **** 3 - Tighten Up - ****/5 -Gtrs (Left side so groovy) ***** -Vocals *** -Drum Pattern **** (classic with some plot twist) -Slowed down ***** (dayum) -Lyrics **** 4 - Howlin' for you - ***.5/5 - Drums **** - Gtr and Synth ***** (miam miam) - Vocals *** - Lyrics *** - Chords and Melodies **** 5 - She's Long Gone - **,75/5 - Gtrs **** (Left side is MELTING with my left ear, a bit synth) - Vocals **** (a bit broken i like it) - Drum Pattern ***** (James Brown vibe) - Lyrics *** - Sounds like a car commercial -** 6 - Black Mud - ***.75/5 - Gtrs **** (+* for the right side with the wah) - Only Instrumental ***** (important for an album) - Drum Pattern with the flanger ***** - 60s Electric Organ ***** P.S : Might be my favorite of the album, 8PM57 7 - The Only One - ***.5/5 - Synth Organ **** - Vocals ***** (REALLY SILKY i like it) - Drums & percs *** (could be better) - Bass *** (Not that deep sadly) - Chords and Melodies **** 8 - Too Afraid to love you - ****/5 - Harpsichord ***** - Vocals *** - Synth **** - Gtr **** (sounds like a mandolin) - Chords and Melodies ***** PS : Mama's and Papa's vibe 9 - Ten Cent Pistol - ****,5/5 - Silky Gtrs ***** - Lead Vocals **** - Drum Pattern **** (Original) - Organ ***** (great leslie effect) - Narrative Lyrics and not too much of singing **** - Chords and Melodies **** P.S : The end is honey to my ears 10- Sinister Kid - ***,5/5 -Overdrive Gtr *** -Vocals ***** -Drum pattern ***** -Lyrics *** (not my type) -Chords and Melodies **** 11- The Go Getter - ****/5 - Synth ***** (So Ethereal) - Gtr + Bass Synth **** - Drum pattern ***** (a bit broken) - Vocals *** - Chords and Melodies **** 12- I'm not the one - ***.5/5 -Keys **** (crusher and organ wide) -Bass *** -Drums ***** -Gtr *** -Chords and Melodies **** 13- Unknown Brother - ***/5 - Drums percs **** - Vocals *** - Gtr *** (Acoustic gtr fits really well) - Lyrics **** (The last one? heartbreaking) - Chords and Melodies *** 14 - Never Gonna Give You Up - ****/5 - Drums & percs **** (orchestral percs, good idea) - Bells **** - Gtr/rhodes **** - Bass/Synth *** - Chords and Melodies **** 15- These Days - ***.25/5 - Mallet **** - Gtr **** - Vocals *** - Drum pattern *** - Chords and Melodies **** 16- Chop and Change - ***,75/5 -Gtrs ***** (little tingling in the right speaking GRRRR (TING-TING-TING) -Vocals **** (really like the woman bg vocals) -Drum Pattern ***** -Lyrics ** (nyeh) -Chords and Melodies **** 17- Keep My name outta of your mouth - ****/5 - Bass Gtr ***** (DAYUM) - Drum Pattern **** - Flute/Bells/Gtr Hits **** - Vocals **** (really like the effect) - Chords and Melodies **** 18- Black Mud II - ***.75/5 - Gtr ***** - Keys **** - Drums *** - Bass **** - Chords and Melodies **** CONCLUSION : Not the best album I have heard. Sounds a lot like a car commercial. Not bad, with some really good ideas but in my opinion, a lot of these songs sounds a lot like each others. Really love the mixing process of some instruments. ***.75/5 - Nice
A solid Black Keys album but I much prefer their previous albums.
Bom de ouvir mas não faz muito meu estilo
The midness continues, sorry
Yeah
3/5. To start, I do think Dan Auerbach is a great vocalist, especially for this style of indie blues rock. However even if it isn’t a fair comparison, every time I hear a black keys song I just think “Man, id rather be listening to the white stripes right now.” I just feel they do the garagey blues rock thing in a more raw and interesting way. Brothers does start on a strong foot however. Next Girl, Tighten Up and Howlin’ for You are all great songs, but it does lead to the album feeling front loaded as nothing in the back half really did it for me as much.
Not bad, not really good, just kinda there.
Hmm... A blues revival album from 2010. Not sure what to make of this one. And, honestly, I don't think there's much blues cred here. It sounds more like the Rolling Stones-style "white blues" in terms of songwriting quality and lyrics. However, the Stones were far more versatile than these guys. Every song sounds nearly identical to the last, with the same beat, similar riffs, and similar lyrics. It's basically if you infused landfill indie with marginal blues-rock influences, which does make landfill indie more palatable but cannot carry it to greatness. This is an OK record, but it doesn't have the great songs or do anything particularly interesting. Granted, I don't think it's bad enough to warrant a 2, so a 3 it is.
I mean the Black Keys are fine. They make some rock music. I enjoy a few of the songs. But overall the record is just a collection of the same song with different lyrics.
I did like this, but I just don’t think I’ll revisit it as an album. The hits will surely come up when im feeling nostalgic, and that will be enough.
yeah not bad, bit dull
Very good album. A 3,7
i really enjoyed the first couple black keys releases, but i think their popularity and iniquitousness really killed any lasting cultural impact. that is to say, the album is fine, but i've heard it entirely too much.
This is a solid album, I'm really torn between 3 and 4. I like some of their later stuff better, but this is sufficiently blues-rock enough that I still dig it. I guess I'll go with a 3 since I never pick this album to play. We'll see if that changes in the future.
Not bad a lot of skip from me.
So I bought tickets to see these guys live, and by chance here they are with the album. However, even as a guy who has paid some of his hard earned cash to listen to these guys play music live, how this album has made it in I am not sure. Black Keys for me are a kind of western country inspired indie rock band who make like 1/2 hits per album that are popular, but they’re never critically acclaimed to be fantastic crafted songs. More like easy listening country style music that has catchy riffs where people can hum along and enjoy. I think it’s almost aimed at people who like pop music and want to broaden their tastes. But that makes a whole album a little bit tedious to listen to, and whilst I also unearthed tracks that I enjoyed along the way, a 2 disk deluxe album of theirs was little too much of the same in one go. But that’s okay, it’s just who they are as a band for me and I’m happy with their place in music, it just doesn’t belong on this list.
It's a nice listen, but it does get repetitive. Very bluesy which is fun but hard to sometimes tell each song from the next sadly.
I enjoyed this one and have a couple tracks turn up in my liked playlist.
Just generic garage rock that has already been hashed out for a decade. Not needed
6.27
these guys are clowns but at least this record holds some nostalgia for me
I thought the last album I had was short. This is 4 songs! 4 funky songs, that kicks off in a real nice groove. Totally something I could put on in the background while I work. Or drive around to. Real cool sound I have to say. Reminds me of things I used to listen to in my friend’s car way back when. This is the reason I do this, I never would have listened to this album otherwise. This is one I’ll come back to when I’m in the right mood.
It’s okay, but it’s pretty OK. So 3.5. And I really like this cover.
I liked it but there's something missing. Authenticity or the nostalgic link?
Think I prefer El Camino. Not quite sure this is groundbreaking. Don’t accidentally listen to the remastered version, it has some rubbish at the end.
Fav : next girl
love me some middle aged white men rock from 10s but the whole album is too monotonous and repetitive
(1 - Bad) N/A (2 - Okay) Next Girl, Howlin’ For You, She’s Long Gone, Too Afraid To Love You, Sinister Kid, The Go Getter, These Days, Keep My Name Outta Your Mouth (3 - Good) Everlasting Light, Black Mud, The Only One, Ten Cent Pistol, I’m Not The One, Never Gonna Give You Up, Chop and Change, Black Mud II (4 - Great) Tighten Up, Unknown Brother (5 - Amazing) N/A
Ok this is home turf for me, I love The Black Keys. Brothers is a solid album, the production is outstanding but not their best one. The first tracks pack a punch and if I had to describe it with one word it would be 'cool'. However, there is not enough variety, tends to get stale midway through. That's why I'm giving it a 3/5. Favorite track: Tighten Up
It'll get three stars because I loved some of the fuzz solos throughout, I think one had a nice delay effect too. That's about all that really caught my ears.
Not much to say. All these songs sounds the same, but at least they have some pace and some grit. It's not bad music, but most of this went in one ear and out the other.
favorites: everlasting light; the only one
Dig the dirty distorted garage sound. Some tunes are cool. Fairly or (more likely) unfairly, my feelings for this group were influenced by a supposed feud with another chap whose side I took. And so my take is likely biased. Still pretty cool tho. We'll go with 3
The Black Keys are my go-to band when ever asked the question, "what is the most generic blues rock music possible". But let the facts of history come first: rock and roll had hit a lull in the 2000s after an incredible 20th century run for multiple decades. The straight forward (blues) rock sound was out of vogue and as memey would it be to blame 9/11 for that, there's probably some big youtube video essay that can summarize "why rock moosick bad in 2000s" maybe more amusingly than I can be bothered to try. I'm aware of the garage rock revival that's probably best sphere-headed by The White Stripes more than any other singular band (I personally think The Strokes lean more to an indie sound over garage rock). The peak of The Black Keys was in the early 2010s as a continuation of a sound that would fade out rather quickly. This is one of the first two consecutive albums Black Keys made that continued that theme before the everlasting light betrayed its namesake. Anyways the name of this album is Brothers, and it's exactly how you imagine The Black Keys sound like. Here I will try to differentiate the madness. I find it funny that the outros are the most interesting parts of the music, where in normal blues music always ends in that specific kind of fashion that being cliche is the corny and correct choice most of the time. They made that part better, and forgot to make anything else different other than take what blues music meant (the suffering the moody blues and so on and so forth) and make it palatable for the white man to listen to while at the gym. I don't think being necessarily inoffensive or nonpolitical music is a bad thing, but that it's also a choice. Would I like to hear two white guys in Akron Ohio play blues music, or any singular person living in the Mississippi delta? It's a good thing and they made the right move to record part of this album in The Shoals. Nothing wrong with the production on the album (Danger Mouse is probably the only reason to make this album in the "must listen or die" category imo), merely that the music is merely just okay. The singles are like food kept in fridge a few days after the "fresh by" date. Despite the palatable album, Howlin' for you is not a good song. You can find much more energetic and better versions of "horny for you girl" blues music from the past or from the present in maybe any singular R&B song of the 2000s. The singing aside from some typical vocal techniques is not compelling to drive the emotions in. Blues is meant to be emotional. Songwriting feels neutered and corporate, sanitized for the aforementioned car commercial comparisons people talk about regarding The Black Keys sound. That's really all there is to it. Highlights: Next Girl, Black Mud, Sinister Kid
Cool vibe but it often sounded like music for a car advert
Pretty good but not super memorable. Tighten Up is still the best track.
Like the Black Keys. Enjoyed the alblum. But I like thier El Camino alblum better.
This album feels like it needs to be listened to on vinyl, in a passenger van, while heading to Woodstock. If the release year hadn't been displayed, I would've just assumed I hadn't heard of it because it was from the 70's. That being said, this album is alright for me. It's sonically cohesive, the production and mastering are similar, but the songs can be differentiated. I had heard the lead single "Tighten Up," as well as "Howling For You" before, and immediately recognised them. I feel that a lot of the songs drag on a bit, and not just the few that go over 4 minutes. (Why does "The Only One" have to be 5 minutes???) It also feels like, although I hadn't heard this album before, it wasn't anything new. You can hear blues influences throughout, and although this album is categorized as garage rock, that feels misleading to me. It feels like more of a soul/bluesy southern gothic feel to me rather than 90's grunge/garage band.
Cool. A bit generic though.
It's not bad, but doesn't click with me
It was fine and good, but probably not an album I would choose to play again.
Długie, ale OK. Mogłabym wrócić.
Never jumped on The Black Keys hype train when this album first got released and listening to it for the first time now doesn't make me wish I did. The songs that I recognized were cool, but its too repetitive at times. Could it have been made better by slimming the track list down from 15 to like 12? Maybe, I still don't think it would make me give this album more than anything but a 3.
Well made, not really my thing
Meh Maybe I’ll try this again but I remained disinterested during my listen
Overly long, but ok
6/10 Had my head nodding throughout. Some catchy grooves and I enjoy the prominent bass in the mix, but nothing wowed me here. Just a solid rock record. Favs: Tighten Up, The Only One
Overall good album that I mostly enjoyed listening to. I feel like the album could've been a tad bit shorter. Best song was Ten Cent Pistol.
definitivamente um album!! nunca fui mto do black keys nao viu. mas eh de boa, nada demais. bem normal, nada me saltou os olhos mas tbm nao me entediou!! algumas sao bem legais, até!!
This is one of those albums that was so popular around a certain period of my life that, despite having never put it on, I assume I've heard some of this before. Well, either I've totally forgotten hearing this before (not a big swing considering how generic a lot of this is) or I've never heard any of it until today, and don't think I've missed out. Three stars on the basis that it's competent and some of the guitar noodling is quite nice.
idk but i like it
Alternative rock. Best Black Keys album. Probably should be at least a 4, but not my genre, so downgraded to 3. 1 song to playlist for now. Will likely be one of the first bumped when listening to gets full.
Didn't know them by name but recognize a bunch of the songs. Would give 3.5
I love the bluesy almost sultry vibe of this album. Not every song stands out but the ones that do are amazing. Favorite track: Sinister Kid
Assez original, et pourtant facile à écouter.
Solid release that brought The Black Keys into the US mainstream. The patented echoey live sounding vocals are always a welcome sound to get into a party energy mood. Howlin' for you is a stand-out example of the album.
On par with early 2000s garage rock revival but does add a bit more soul
3.5
This is pretty bog-standard blues rock. Inoffensive but not transcendent. Not essential.
redefined sports bar ambiance
Already in my regular rotation. Wish we could vote half-stars. Torn between 3 & 4 stars.
nice! i think there's some really nice tunes in here a very enjoyable listen
Very much a “vibes” record. The more honed in they got, the less rough sounding and more commercially viable in every way. Just a bit too easy to ignore but always pleasant to hear.
A few of these songs were damn good the rest don’t do it for me
I already knew two songs: Tighten Up and Howlin' For You which I already liked. The rest of the album sounded good and right in line with what I would enjoy but no other song stood out except for Ten Cent Pistol.
Excited that this is first album to start the entire 1001. Lived in Akron for my coming to age years after college. Just finished it 1/9. It was okay. Not my favorite. Liked it a bunch more when I was younger
Don’t love the black keys. Some songs were ok. Glad to give them a proper chance.
Appreciate it, but not my thing.
I have had a tough time getting into The Black Keys because I've always felt like they're a White Stripes rip off but made more accessible/radio friendly. I don't dislike this album but I don't feel like this album deserves to be on this list. I like El Camino and Turn Blue a lot better than this record too.
Some good sounding songs with punchy bass and drums. But it felt like what Imagine Dragons fans turn to when they want to be edgy.
okayyy finally some new songs added to the playlist
Grew on me.
I really love the first 5 tracks on this album. The problem is that tracks 6-14 fell flat, sometimes cribbing lines from their other songs, and didn't keep up any of the energy from the first 5 songs. If I hadn't been bored to numbness, "These Days" might have stirred up my emotions, and been an amazing final track. Maybe someday, I'll just listen to those 6 songs in a loop, and see if it hits they way I think it should. Rather disappointing, because I generally like The Black Keys.
7/10
This album is very strong in its genre and I think that's good, however is not really my style and I wouldn't listen to it intentionally. The genre in general, I think, feels very repetitive and all the songs are predominantly percussion sounds, which gets very annoying at some point if you are not into this kind of music.
There is nothing worse than having all your songs blend together. This is a great album other than that. I'm also very hard pressed not to mention a certain band on the opposite side of the color spectrum as the Black Keys. The two Midwest Blues Duos are intertwined to some degree & have had equal success. The Keys seem to be more polished. I prefer white meat to dark in this situation. There's not much difference between The Only One & I'm Not the One. Why are they even on the same album? Are those Sleigh Bells in Unknown Brother? I don't know how I feel about that. Automatic Christmas song? Howling For You sounds like Rock N Roll part 2 almost to a point of ripping it off. If you like the same song over & over but slightly different, it's fantastic. If not, you're in for a bad time. Broken record here. Give me a bit more sonic variety. 3.8
Heavy bass!
Good album but not really my favorite genre.
ok
It was more like 3.75, musically it was really good and a pleasant album to listen to. I did find it a little music and nome of the tracks really stood out to me, but I wasn't paying a lot of attention to the album and it was mu first listen
7/10 great, consistent sound but also slightly repetitive
3.75/5 Love the clear influence of blues, soul, and rock. Classic riffs. Production maintains a nice level of grunge and rasp without getting muddy. Is Unknown Brother automatically a Christmas song because it features sleigh bells? Didn’t feel any personal connection to it though, nor did anything still out as particularly exceptional.
Enjoyable, and may revisit.
Epitome of 10s indie garage rock
Was nice
Another fine album by The Black Keys. Although I prefer artists like John Lee Hooker or Chris Stapleton, it is nice to know bands like these still exist. There was nothing bad about this album but I do have to admit I listened to 3 other songs by 3 different artists after the album ended without realising/noticing. Make of that what you want.
3/5
Favorite Song: Too Afraid to Love You Least Favorite Song: Black Mud I don’t know how many more mediocre albums in a row I can take. Please 1001albumgenerator give me something life-changing.
Could listen to them again. Haven’t heard of them before. Some songs I like better than others.
Sounds like The Black Keys but very boring this time. I was patiently waiting for the end of this album so I can delete it and start something else. But don’t misunderstand, it is really decent record but only sounds faceless.
really i'd give it a 3.5.. can see why others like it but just not totally for me
álbum que eu tenho certeza que eu iria gostar se tivesse ouvido na minha fase wannabe indiezinha. algumas faixas legaizinhas, outras nem tanto.
Holy ad music. saved (1/15): - Never Gonna Give You Up
really liked this!! faves: everlasting light and too afraid to love
Would listen to this agan
Classic
Album’s best : Howlin’ for you
This album and El Camino went triple platinum on my iPod in elementary and middle school. Now that some time has passed I can see that it is kinda just “we have the White Stripes at home”, but that’s not a bad thing. The songs are still solid. Favorites were Everlasting Light, Tighten Up, Howlin’ For You, and Ten Cent Pistol.
Good coworker music
Loved listening to this at max volume… everlasting light is a gem and I totally get it 😮💨
3.4/5 actually some rly good pop rock 2010s songs prolly nostalgia
i’m enjoying so far! never heard of this artist, but howlin for you sounds familiar.. the vibe they give also reminds me of another artist but i can’t put my finger on it…. i do think it kinda sounds monotonous in a way right now, but most albums on first listen have this issue. i’m assuming the more you listen, the more distinct each song becomes.
This is fine. I recognized some songs but it wasn't like exceptional
It sounds like something I’d only listen to when I was a teenager. Not bad but not my style anymore.
I liked the first few Black Keys albums, this was where I fell off. Giving it a listen in late 2025 I feel the same. Songs are fine the band are very tight. Their aged blues aesthetic works. But it’s much more commercial. Even Danger Mouse can’t save these tracks. I understand how this album landed on the list, but I’m still not a fan of latter day Black Keys. 3/5
I really want to like this album - I think there is something about lyrical content and voice that I don’t love - musically it’s easy to listen to
On paper should be rated higher than this, but just feel like it is lacking heart or emotion, almost like you told AI to make a rock album
Not what I'd listen to every day, but I definitely see myself occasionally putting on some of the songs. My favorites were Never gonna give you up, Ten cent pistol, Too afraid to love you, these days (Never gonna give you up being my favorite, 10/10). I'd give 3.5 stars if it were possible.
The textbook definition of a 6/10. Good songs, but it goes on too long. I like the Black Keys, and this is not their best record.
Mid
twas decent
Only a couple songs like Black Mud and Too Afraid to Love you were really grooving for me. Also, I don’t understand what’s up with this album cover. Most of this album was too average to stand out as a classic on this list. It’s missing the X factor
6/10 good but felt a little repetitive
Pretty good not awesome and its from 2010
cool. similar sound as mother mother
Not averse to The Black Keys. I don't love them and I don't dislike them. Nothing quite grabs me enough to rate this higher than a 2 or a 3. I'll be generous this time.
I was quite apprehensive with this album, it just reeked of indie-ness. And it kinda does, mainly the vocals are where I'm getting indie from. You know I would describe what makes them indie, but my brain won't give me a reasonable definition to put into my own words. Some of the riffs are quite cool I suppose. This is just a 'meh' album to me, probably won't be returning. Highlight Song/s: "Next Girl" and "She's Long Gone",
Sometimes it feels like they are just moving furniture around the room. On this song, the couch is over here and the chair is over here, and on the next song they've just switched places. It is a comfy couch though, maybe a little saggy in the middle.
i dont know if i get why its so lauded but the only one is a song ive liked for ages
I remember enjoying this back in the day. Still decent but pretty straight up and repetitive…
Not bad, but nothing truly inspiring.
Solid album that doesn't do much. The sounds that are there sound good. Crunchy production, good beats, not especially memorable songs, but nothing aurally offensive.
Another good one. I really liked Black Mud, I think it is something with songs that has a nice gitarr!
Album doesn't have a lot of their hits like el Camino does, but it might be a more cohesive album.
I've either heard every song here in an SUV commercial or find it tolerable, fuzzy. samey blues rock. The hits keep this at a light 3.
Love the grooviness of this indie rock album. I know The Black Keys from their singles/hits, but I don’t think I’ve listen to an entire album of theirs beginning to end. Something that’s easy to listen to (in a good way) because it’s catchy AF. A bit repetitive and boring after a while, but not gratingly so. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Non li conoscevo, bell'album. Purtroppo non ascoltato con dovuta attenzione ma mi piace molto il sound. Salvato in libreria per ulteriori ascolti e approfondimenti.
I’d actually give it a 3.5. It’s a nostalgic album for me but it suffers from something I thought only the last albums from The Black Keys suffered: it does feel like you’re listening to the same 3 songs for an hour. I guess I looked at this one with rose-colored glasses
I don't think this is their best work, i.e, El Camino, but it's pretty electrifying. For an era of rock that lets be real, has struggled, I think they've been an outlier. Do I think it's on par with some older rock music? No, and that's ok. I think they lean into blues music and have their own upbeat, almost Arctic Monkeys style, which is very much the early 2000s sound. I don't think they should try and be anything other than themselves, and it serves them well here.
2.5.
Good total album to play in background. Some bangers. Might give 3.5 * if I could
The most 3 album yet. Not bad. Not great. Good background music without being muzak. Derivative without being too contrived or soulless. Liked the clean production. Too long. Wouldn’t rule out another listen.
Played and no doubt overplayed this back in the day, I was really starved of interesting new Music then.... Now, particularly having listened to much more of the originals source material, it feels more like an ex who you wonder why you spent so much time with than a blood tied Brother(s).
Genre: Blues Rock I don't know why this is in the book. It's a solid record, and The Black Keys were sort of poised (at that time in the early 2010s) to take off in a big way, but this sound never really took off beyond the occasional Ford or Dodge commercial. The hits on here are good, and I think overall this is truly one of the easier picks to put on at an event with lots of white folk, and there are some variations (a little more garage here, a little more straight blues here), but it's totally just solid background noise. Non-essential. Enjoyable (your dad would love this a lot), but non-essential. 3/5
Listened to half the album. I really liked it. Solid vocals and really really good instrumentals
good solid album of fun!
Mid and samey background music for car commercials
Some good songs on here.
It's fine. Inoffensive. Couldn't help but feel like I'd rather be listening to Spoon.
Boy oh boy did this fill a hole in music when it came out. It was also perfectly released to coincide with America’s rediscovery of slightly less problematic Deep South white culture in the True Blood era. Every song off this guy was on the radio for 3 years. But then it got co-opted by Shondaland and HBO dramas and NBC and suddenly it was everywhere and you couldn’t walk down the street without hearing Next Girl. I know every word to every song but I can’t stand them anymore. Three stars for effort and intention.
6/10
325/1089 - I thought this was the Black Eyed Peas for a second but I'm relieved. I kinda get why Rock died in the 2000s if this is what was considered cool enough for this list. Sounds like The Allman Brothers Band + the Strokes.
This is a fairly solid Album that I used to listen to quite often when it was released. Kind of the beginning of the more modern blues-rock / Sleaze rock popularity boom in my opinion, at least to get really popular in mainstream media. Everlasting Light, Tighten Up, Howlin' For You, and Too Afraid to Love are my top songs on the album.
Reminded me of the black pumas. Good vibes, a little cheesy at times
I love seeing yet another band from my home state represented. I wonder what the percentage is of Ohioans on this list. Unfortunately, other than the three hits here (which are tremendous), I always found this album to be a little repetitive, over long, and boring. I was never one for delta blues, and the Black Keys are buckled into that whole sound.
Interesting to see that this one's average rating has fallen significantly - has there been a bit of a backlash against these guys? Some of the negative reviews mention car commercials and the like, so maybe that has been a factor. It is easy to see why this would appeal to ad-makers. The songs have an immediacy and a bit of punch. It all sounds a bit processed, though, and lacking in personality. My overall feeling was that this is good but not very lovable
I'd heard Tighten Up, and Howlin' for You before. The album is ok, but nothing to write home about.
I like this better than the Arctic Monkeys but it’s generally the same thing
This was fine. It didn't blow my mind but the production and feel were nice. The vocals added some much needed oomph. The repetition got slightly annoying at times. Honestly, it was nothing crazy but I'm happy with what I got. top 5: Howlin' For You, The Only One, Sinister Kid, Never Gonna Give You Up, and These Days 3.55/5
Perfectly fine easy listening rock.
Got some bangers on there tbf
3/5
Strong blues influences, the issue with influence sometimes is it just reminds you of a better artist you could be listening to. Very of its era, though. I can understand why 2009 local-coffee shop-indie-fanatics went wild over this sound - you can almost hear the milk steamer going off over the sound of this album. Not inherently a negative, just not my scene. Should I resent this album for bring in a wave of stomp-clap artists after it? No. Will I anyway? Yes.
Lots of good tracks on this one although I feel like my appreciation for it has waned over the years. I saw the tour supporting this album back in 2013 and it ripped. This one is somewhere between a 3 and 4.
Enjoyable album, I own the CD.
Pretty good 3/5
The Black Keys are one of these band for me where… I just don’t like them and there’s really no good reason why. The Black Keys play really cool garage rock with deep and varied influences from blues, soul and hip hop. They have this great mix of dirty guitar and production with a very clear delivery. It just doesn’t work for me. You should take a listen though.
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
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
Blues adjacent- very repetitive but general good groove and enjoyable to listen to when feeling productive etc. Sunday 22/11
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.
Technically adroit but not my cup of tea
im a sad boy and my girlfriend is a bitch
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
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
I was regular whelmed by this one.
EA Sports ass album
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
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!
Decent, put pretty samey by the end. 3.5/5
nah, i don’t like the sound engineering on this one :/
I was wondering if this would be the album with that one song. It was.
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.