Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan influence new Black Keys album

Ryan Hodgin Staff Writer

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For all intents and purposes, the recording industry in the Shoals

is dead. Long gone are the days of Bob Dylan and Mick Jagger. It’s

the musical equivalent of Rocky, once great but now old and

brittle. At least one great band hasn’t given up on the Shoals

though. 

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The Black Keys came to Muscle Shoals to make an album that drew

inspiration from the town’s historical background, and that’s

exactly what they did.  The Ohio duo, whose name come from a term

meaning “a little off center,” has a lived-in feel to this CD. With

most artists that you aren’t familiar with, there is a feeling out

period where you aren’t necessarily comfortable with every

aspect. 

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With “Brothers,” that initial breaking in period is waived,

replaced instead with a feeling of familiarity and comfort. It’s

obvious that they draw influence from Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan

and some of the other all time greats who have recorded in Muscle

Shoals. 

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The album starts with a fizzle and a howl in “Everlasting light,”

which sets the tone for the rest of the album; it has a spacious,

almost dirty sound to it. “Tighten up,” which was produced by

Danger Mouse of Gnarls Barkley, has an infectious charm to it. It’s

a song that will stick in your head for a few days and has been

licensed to be used in “FIFA 11,” “Gossip Girl” and a Subaru

commercial.

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 The CD only continues to steamroll from there. “Ten Cent Pistol”

is a song about revenge from an ex that has a killer bluesy guitar

lick that seems ominous. The second to last song is an incredible

cover of Jerry Butler’s “Never Gonna Give You Up.” Much larger

bands have tried to create a CD that has this much fullness to

it. 

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I think that’s why I like this CD so much: it brings a gritty and

beaten sound to the table which, at album’s end, makes you feel

like you’ve been chewing clay. Judging by the quality of the album

and the breadth of good songs, I would say that Muscle Shoals

recording isn’t dead; it just needs the right bands to draw the

proper inspiration.