The Black Keys – El Camino

Review

The Black Keys hit the ground running with "El Camino," a rocket-fueled record that takes no prisoners and leaves no guitar riff unturned. Teaming up with Danger Mouse, this seventh record packs the punch of a heavyweight, trimming the fat from their previous sounds to a lean, mean 38 minutes of rock 'n' roll swagger. Take the Frisbee out for "Lonely Boy" and try not to groove to its infectious rhythm, I dare you. It's all throttle, no brakes, as "Gold On The Ceiling" splashes glitzy, unshakable hooks all over your denim jacket.

And who needs a slow-burn when you can have a firecracker? "Little Black Submarines" is a Jekyll-and-Hyde track that whispers sweetly in your ear before smashing your air guitar to smithereens. Sure, some folks miss the sly genre-bending from "Brothers," but let's be honest, when a record's this fun, it's hard to get hung up on the details. "El Camino" doesn't just bridge the band's beginnings with rock royalty status; it floors the pedal and breaks the speed limit, making The Black Keys the sonic boom of the early 2010s. - Leo