There are few bands that make you feel as if they are playing to save their souls, and on Magic Potion, The Black Keys prove to be one of them. The fourth album from the guitar/drum duo of Dan Auberbach and Patrick Carney finds them continuing with their Mississippi flavored blues rock sound. They know that if it ain't broke, don't fix it, so fans can expect more down and dirty production from this song-cycle. "Your Touch" features Auberbach hooting and hollering off-mic, like Muddy Waters entered his spirit, and Carney works his kit like the rent was due yesterday. Throughout the disc, Auberbach's caterwaul makes you a believer as he speaks of love, loss, and everything else he's working out. On "Strange Desire" he moans, "I don't want to go to hell/but if I do, it'll be 'cause of you," and the aching rings true. The grooves these boys bring demonstrate that their music is infused with traditional rock & blues topics like sex, faith and love—and it doesn't feel stale. You might miss some of the (even) grittier lo-fi moments from previous recordings but with Magic Potion you get the Black Keys showcasing a new level of confidence in their sound; and it's a sound that gets ever better with each listen.
Erika Clarke
Release date: September 12, 2006
Buy Album from CD Universe
