Last year’s “No Rain No Flowers” saw The Black Keys go all pop as they looked to their roots, this new one sees them go even rootsier and look even deeper.
“Peaches!” is a collection of mostly obscure blues covers but sees The Black Keys back to their raw best, though still slicker (they’ve got more money and more band members) than early doors in their career.
For British ears, the main point of interest is “She Does It Right”, giving the estate of the late and much-loved Wilko Johnson a healthy boost as the Keys cover a Dr Feelgood tune (from “Down by the Jetty”). Willie Griffin, Arthur Crudup, Ike Turner (“You Got to Lose”, recorded by George Thorogood and the Destroyers) and Jesse Mae Brooks are among the other songwriters covered.
Nothing new, literally, but they do it well.
If you want a stripped-down sound and raucous guitar, and The Black Keys as they used to be, this is for you.
JMC
