Music Review: Turn Blue

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After the tremendous success of their last few albums, the Black Keys managed to produce yet another excellent record. Turn Blue, one of the most highly anticipated albums of the season, has finally arrived, and it is everything that fans could have hoped for.

 
The Keys begin their eighth studio album with the longest song in Black Keys history. The nearly seven-minute bluesy track brought to life with guitar solos and passionate vocals, "Weight of Love" plunges the listener into the record with an intense compilation of everything the Keys have come to be known for.
 
Influences from classic rock, gospel, blues, funk and more can be heard on Turn Blue. But despite the variety of influences and subtle tributes to bands like Pink Floyd, the Black Keys really don't sound like anyone else.
 
Within this distinctive Black Keys style is a wide variety of moods and colors between the different tracks. Some songs, like "Bullet in the Brain" and "Turn Blue," have a floating, ambient sound that relaxes the listener. Other songs are heavier and have a more edgy rock feel.
 
"Fever," one of the more heavily rock-influenced tracks, is probably the closest thing to a party song on the album. It was first introduced as a single before the full-length album came out. "Fever" is an upbeat song that forgoes some of the Keys' traditional bluesy sounds in order to keep listeners awake and interested.
 
The album ends in a rather unusual way, with what can only be described as a standard rock song that sounds like something produced by a blues cover of The Clash. "Gotta Get Away" may not sound as deep as the rest of the album, but it is nevertheless a fun and satisfying ending.
 
With Turn Blue, the Keys did something that many popular bands fail to do in their later albums, which is maintain their unique sound and style without becoming stale. It is difficult to say where the band will go from here, but so far it seems that the Keys can go nowhere but up.