 THE
BLACK KEYS >> RUBBER FACTORY. FAT
POSSUM 2004
The
Black Keys have a formula: stick with what works. Nothing more,
nothing less. In their case, what works is two musicians, a guitarist,
and a drummer playing blues music. To today's typically overindulged
ear, the idea might seem a bit dry. But the band's third release,
Rubber Factory, furthers the two Midwesterners' reputation
for making extraordinary things out of basic ingredients.
Following
their critically acclaimed Thickfreakness, Rubber Factory's
13 songs take the listener deeper inside the duo's bag of goosebump-raising
guitar, bone-rattling beats, and wailing vocals. The album was recorded
on used tape, in the band's shot-out apartment/ music studio above
an abandoned old tire factory in a desolate industrial town. It doesn't
get much more real than that--except for the music itself. The often
distorted riffs of Dan Auerback balance precariously between sloppy
and impeccable--working with tones of Jimi and structure like Robert
Johnson. Meanwhile, Patrick Carney drums like a rioter with a grudge.
Get one thing straight: this isn't feel-sorry-for-yourself blues.
For the most part, it's turbocharged, punch-your-problem-in-the-nose,
stand-up-straight-and-spit blues. Not that there aren't a few exceptions,
like "The Lengths" (without a doubt, one of the best on the disc)
with weeping slide guitar, pensive vocals, and merciful percussion.
Other highlights are the solid strut of "10 am Automatic," the funky
lust of "The Desperate Man," the rise and fall of "Grown So Ugly,"
and, of course, the heel-hopping cover of The Kinks' classic "Act
Nice and Gentle."
It's
easy to dwell on the fact that The Black Keys are two white
guys from Akron, Ohio, who emit enough soul to fill a Mississippi
Delta church to the steeple. Guys who three years ago were doing lawn
maintenance to subsidize their musical dreams. Now, they're selling
out venues and mowing down audiences across the globe. It just shows
that with a solid plan, lots of dedication, and a grasp of what's
really needed to get the job done, you can accomplish a great deal.
Nothing more, nothing less. By Mike Fish
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Eargasm
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