The Black Keys

Add Date: May 20 

Artist: The Black Keys 

Album: Turn Blue 

Label: Nonesuch 

Genre: Rock 

Comments: On Turn Blue, their eighth studio album, The Black Keys continue to gravitate away from the blues rock of their early material, instead producing another set of crowd-pleasing rock songs that flirt with light psychedelia--but which never veer too far off of producer Danger Mouse's polished pop trail. While catchy tunes like "Bullet in the Brain" and "Fever" are sure to be mega hits, the most interesting moments on Turn Blue come when Messrs. Auerbach and Carney do stray off the well-trodden path: opener "Weight of Love" is a psych-blues jam that clocks in at just under 7 minutes, while closing track "Gotta Get Away" is a surprising slice of fuzz-guitar pop with a melody straight out of '70s classic rock radio.

In short, Turn Blue is another solid set that's sure to keep The Black Keys atop the modern rock pedestal--bookended by a pair of songs that make you wonder how good they could be if they took just a few steps out of their (fans') comfort zone.

Recommended Tracks: 4, 11, 6, 1, 3

DNP: 10