The Black Keys - El Camino Album Review

Never heard of The Black Keys? Where have you been!? Their last album ‘Brothers’ got three Grammy awards  and  they sold over a million copies of the record worldwide. There is a theory that the blue-rockers from Ohio have just inherited 'The White Stripes’ fanbase. I think this is just because there is a gap in the world of bullish guitar and drums acts so it has become an easy and lazy way to criticise The Black Keys' raw sound. Over the last few albums, The Black Keys have made great strides from a bluesy bar band into established rock ravagers. 

Now to the album. ‘El Camino’ had to be a record that justified the band’s emergence into the arena tours and festival headlining sets. It does just this. Lets face it, until maybe Brothers, not a lot of people had even heard of them, but 'El Camino' not only sticks two fingers up at a decaying music industry but also puts The Black Keys firmly on the Rock N' Roll map, and they aren't for budging. 

Single and opener ‘Lonely Boy’ sets the tone. It's incredibly simple in structure but it becomes an instant hit with a catchy riff and big bass lines. This song must be played loud. ‘Run Right Back’ is very similar to  Queens Of The Stone Age’s ‘No One Knows’, by managing to paint yet another fatal attraction scenario to a rhythm that feels like a finger jabbing in your chest and then punching you in the face, just incase you weren't paying attention. ‘Little Black Submarines’ is by far the best track on the entire album, starting out in a Johnny Cash style with acoustic noodling and soothing vocal melodies then exploding into a psycho-blues meltdown which leaves you speechless. 

‘Sister’ is probably the best pop song they’ve ever written with it's 1980s undertones layering the track, while we see a returning flirt with the glam rock era in ‘Gold On The Ceiling’. 
The album is a lot of fun and from start to finish, it's kept simple, yet tight and effective. Finally there is a band within the 21st Century music industry who isn't afraid to pick up a guitar, wack on the fuzz pedal and blast out some rock n' roll riffs. 'El Camino’ is incredibly thrusting, in your face, urgent and above all to the point. In an album lasting only 37 minutes, The Black Keys have produced the best work they've done. They have not only met but destroyed the challenge of being the biggest garage rock band in the world and have left all guitar music fans an unspoken promise of better things to come. 

9/10 

Two Door Cinema Club - NME Awards Tour Manchester 2012

Squashed into Academy One, I begin to understand what all the fuss is about with this band. I stand and watch a weird mixture of support bands before the Bangor boy's enter the stage. As part of the NME tour, I am forced to stand through three bands I have never listened to, but the band named 'Tribes' certainly impressed me and the rest of the crowd. I won't mention the other two support acts, for the simple reason that they aren't worth mentioning. Maybe it would've been a better idea to let 'Tribes' be the sole support act and whip the crowd up before the headliner's set. However, for a band who look completely innocent, Two Door Cinema Club certainly got people excited and expecting big things.

This is instantly shown with opener ‘Cigarettes In The Theatre’ as the crowd goes mental to the sound of synthesized trumpets and guitar melodies. It’s all very slick, quick and transforms into one of the best openings to a gig I've ever witnessed. They’re not exactly blessed with the gift of the gab though. They do struggle to stop our attention drifting after the end of each song. Unlike bands such as 'Tribes', 'Arctic Monkeys', or 'Miles Kane', they lack a stage presence that is only highlighted when they aren't playing. Despite this, I cannot judge Two Door Cinema Club's performance based just on the lack of banter, witty remarks, or audience participation. 

To be honest I get too involved with watching older drunk men in front of me than noticing the boy's in between songs but the set does swing from incredible high points to low ones. ‘Something Good Can Work’ is arguably as perfect as indie-pop gets, combining the naivety and energy of bands that have emerged around the same time as them but also previous indie acts that have broke through in past years. However this level is not maintained throughout the set. I can't help but cut them a bit of slack for this. They are still incredibly young, and are nearing the end of a massive tour off the back of just one debut album. So credit where credit is due. ‘I Can Talk’ is a real crowd pleaser and ‘What You Know’ has the crowd singing along to every single word . 

As the set progresses, it becomes obvious that this band have adopted the ‘throw it all in, mix it up and see what happens’ theory that has delivered pop brilliance as well as disaster in the past. There is nothing outwardly special about this performance and they are still just a band with some brilliant tunes. They keep it simple but interesting and try to maintain a high tempo.  There is clearly a lot of potential for this band. They need to discover that quickly but once they do, Two Door Cinema Club will go on to achieve big things. 


8/10