Dan Auerbach – Keep It Hid
I had a hard time imagining what a solo album by the non-drum half of The Black Keys would sound like. I mean, no offense to drummer Patrick Carney, but Auerbach seems to be the one running the show, considering he drives the band’s entire melody and tone.
The big surprise here is that it doesn’t really sound like a Black Keys album. Instead it sounds like a bunch of random stuff that pushes Auerbach outside of the garage/blues style he’s naturally good at. He plays acoustic guitar some and does a few songs that sound like they were discarded from the Keys’ repertoire for good reason, throwing in some 60s psychedelic rock tones here and there for good measure.
As a whole, the record’s not bad. But that’s about it. It’s not catchy — lacking all the raw guitar hooks a Black Keys fan like myself would hope for — and, like I said, mostly sounds like a talented musician straining himself beyond his natural abilities. If he weren’t already known, this album probably wouldn’t have showed up on my (or anyone’s) radar.
