The two boys from Akron are back, and it feels good. After years of disappointment, the Black Keys struck gold in 2010 with the Grammy award-winning album Brothers. El Camino upholds this accomplishment, as they acquire a new fast paced, more energetic sound. The album was recorded in Nashville home of the Kings of Leon, and great country music where they hoped to get inspiration.

The music on the two albums is completely different. Brothers is slower and garage band-esque, while El Camino is faster and upbeat. Most of the songs are classic rock and roll: about sex, greed, desire and heartbreak. With the help of Danger Mouse [Gnarls Barkley], who helped write the hit “Tighten Up,” the Black Keys discovered a whole new sound altogether. The best song on the album, “Lonely Boy” is an addicting song with a sick guitar riff. While they haven’t gone away from their blues-rock roots, they just figured out a different way to express it like in “Little Black Submarines,” which starts out calm, but then the guitar solo runs over the lyrics and you’ll just be jamming out to the guitar. The second best song on the album, “Gold on the Ceiling,” which sounds a little bit like “Tighten Up” from Brothers, is a lot like other great Black Keys songs, with a great guitar and an awesome keyboard, also performed on Saturday Night Live.

El Camino shows the musical talent of each member on every song. Dan Auerbach plays guitar riffs reminiscent of “Deep Purple,” while Patrick Carney is rocking out on the bass. Put Danger Mouse in there with his organs drowning out the melodies, and you have an amazing performance by all. It is a party Rock ’n’ Roll album, one that is meant for the summer. The Black Keys really are not like any other band out there today. They seem to still have a “kick-ass” persona, even though they have not performed songs like this before. With their seventh album they do not disappoint, this is altogether one of the best rock albums of the year.

By Griffin Zeller