This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Le Moyne chapter.

THE BLACK KEYS! How I have not covered this mind-blowing duo yet. But

seriously, only two people have created all that head rocking glory? It’s almost too

good to be true.

I’ve had a very unique listening relationship with this band, they’ve surely

helped me rock through the good times and the bad times, and they sure as hell

have gotten me through the ugly times. This really is a band that produces atypical

tempos, so you will continuously be in luck for whatever disposition you wake up in.

You know those times you just need to get something out of your system, and the

only way you feel like its possible is to dance it out? I know it sounds completely

cliché, but the Black Keys are that band for me, through and through.

To the contrary of other album reviewers, I believe that you can come to the

Black Keys for reinvention. On their 2010 release album Brothers, “Tighten Up”

speaks for itself. Vocalist Dan Auerbach’s falsetto is pure talent. The guy has

sharpened the howling knack over a long period of time. “Next Girl”, an entertaining,

and raunchy tune is bitterly honest. And I love that. Lyrically it admits that a

previous girlfriend, even though beautiful, was impossible to co-exist with. The

relationship stood without a solution. It’s having a bitter attitude towards the

amount of energy put into a relationship. “All that work over, over so much time if I,

if I think too hard, I might lose my mind.” Like they so ever poetically state, the look

of the cake ain’t always the taste. This is frankly something I can relate to.

“Everlasting Light” is an enormously sentimental song for me. Not because

its measured, or sluggish sounding. Actually for from it, I can recognize those first

three second of that symbol beat from anywhere. And when I do, it all breaks loose.

The tune quickly evolves into a hard, pounding on the drums and a wailing guitar.

It’s a low-fi floor stomper if I’ve ever heard one. The band makes an amazing use of

pedals in this, and many other songs. It’s too bad when a fantastic song reminds you

of someone you’d like to forget. A time and place in your life you have bittersweet

memories of. But I know in the future the sweetness will outrank the bitter,

hopefully sooner rather than later.

But I believe the two bluesy souls created their catchiest album yet with El

Camino released by Nonesuch Records in 2011. Dirty guitar, fuzzed out sound, and

thumping baselines. One favorite lies within the soul of “Little Black Submarine.” I

think what I like most is that the first half of the song offers a sad acoustic mood.

The despondency is emotionally raw. My favorite part rocks in about two thirds of

the way in. The beat drops, and a sexier tempo arises, featuring a more off beat,

heavy, and loud rhythm, much easier to swing to.

These walking rockist creatures serve us a platter of playful dizzy hits. Join

in on the wicked handclapping and the immorally satisfying jamming in the rubber

factory. Wait for the distortion to kick in, because, oh sweet thing, it will. It’s gritty,

it’s seedy, it’s awesome. Rock is here and it’s by no means going away.

Music for the College Soul: The Black Keys

We wanna slide into your DMs