There is a really great new song by The Black Keys titled No Good. An explosive combo of drums and guitars is cute like a Pokémon (yes, that is the comparison that I decided to make). Legs and hands are doing their job on their own, and the mood is instantly getting lighter. As the album goes, The Black Keys bring the instruments in, you can hear the bass, more guitars, vocals, etc. Glass House is also another phenomenal new hit by The Black Keys, a track that shakes up your whole body and soul. The Black Keys do not stop on the basic, effective rock ‘n’ roll, rather expanding their winner combination. All The Pretty Girls is a standout collaboration with Bon Iver.
Pardon me. The previous passage is a mistake. This is not about The Black Keys – at all. The band I am writing comes from Holland and their name is Kaleo. Also, the collab with Bon Iver did not happen, it is just a song incredibly close to the discography of Bon Iver. None of this changes the fact that the songs are one hundred percent rock, nor that the song No Good ended up in TV show Vinyl, a series about the life in record label set in 70s.
Kaleo comprises four boys who are truly passionate about American tradition. Rock, blues and folk are running through their veins. The singer Jokull Juliusson howls like the real life losers from the deserts of American South; isolated places where you can not find a soulmate. These are the kind of secluded peninsulas where you can even find a single soul. Consolation is to be found in instant pleasure, sins and wandering. The instruments and the microphones are there to help convey the story.
Juliusson is an actor, a singer and a character who had lived through everything he is singing about. Despite the powerful interpretation, the songs are not always A game. We have already heard all the growls and howls in rock classics performed by Gregg Allman, Eddie Vedder, Kings Of Leon, The Black Keys and Bon Iver.
No matter how strong The Black Keys influences are, the album A\B is a fun record, but not a suggestive repertoire of style practices. Authenticity is not their forte, obviously. The music sounds a bit dated and recycled, although there are few fresh tunes. I hope their concerts sound better than this album.
