Albums to watch

Turn Blue

The Black Keys

Turn Blue

Eighth studio album from the Akron Ohio garage rock duo Dan Auerback and Patrick Carney produced along with Danger Mouse

ADM rating[?]

7.0

Label
Nonesuch
UK Release date
12/05/2014
US Release date
13/05/2014
  1. 10.0 |   The Independent

    A post-modern blues-rock marvel which takes some of the core elements of rock’n’roll and re-casts them in new shapes, refurbished with strings, vibes, synths and mellotron
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  2. 9.0 |   musicOMH

    Quite possibly The Black Keys’ own best ever long player. It’s… just… so… damn… catchy
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  3. 9.0 |   Rolling Stone

    The Keys have been working up to this since their first LP with Burton, 2008's Attack & Release. Turn Blue sounds like arrival
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  4. 8.3 |   Pretty Much Amazing

    El Camino was the sound of The Black Keys flexing their muscles as they reached for that sword, but Turn Blue is the sound of The Black Keys baring their soul and testing the parameters
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  5. 8.3 |   Consequence Of Sound

    The airwaves are about to get more adventurous thanks to a band that finally decided to go big
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  6. 8.0 |   Independent on Sunday

    Their broiling melting pot of blues, soul and psychedelia side-swerves all the current trends
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  7. 8.0 |   Entertainment.ie

    Whoever first mentioned the name Danger Mouse to the Black Keys should be commended
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  8. 8.0 |   All Music

    Turn Blue impresses because it does what all great bands should do: it captures a band stretching while always sounding like themselves
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  9. 8.0 |   Uncut

    Turns out to be their sneakiest, subtlest and most seductive
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  10. 8.0 |   Q

    Tripping out their sound suits them. Print edition only

  11. 8.0 |   Clash

    Layers of tenacious funk with serrated Neil Young-like guitars and hypnotic allusions of psych
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  12. 8.0 |   The Guardian

    However the songs are embellished, however radio-friendly the choruses or stadium-sized the dynamics, the tight-knit relationship between Auerbach's guitar and Carney's breakbeat-heavy drumming is always at their centre
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  13. 8.0 |   Slant Magazine

    There's still a two-man garage band in there, but Auerbach and Patrick Carney are currently catering to earbuds rather than stadiums
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  14. 7.5 |   Paste Magazine

    Turn Blue concludes with “Gotta Get Away,” a rowdy, gospel-tinged Southern rocker—and a rare beam of light within the album’s dark sprawl. And as good as they are stepping into that spotlight, it’s hard not to wish they’d plumb the darkness even further
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  15. 7.0 |   Drowned In Sound

    If you were hankering for a return to their garage-rock roots, then Turn Blue is going to disappoint; however, if you’ve liked where the band have gone since Dangermouse came on board, you’ll find plenty to appreciate here
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  16. 7.0 |   The Quietus

    At 11 tracks, Turn Blue doesn't quite fall prey to the late-album bloat of Brothers, but it is still one song too long. Despite 'In Our Prime' being a stunning, natural closer, it's followed by 'Gotta Get Away', a wretched bit of quittin' time bar band rock
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  17. 7.0 |   PopMatters

    Although far from a perfect album, the Black Keys have successfully added to their already impressive album with another solid record
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  18. 7.0 |   Exclaim

    It all sounds great, but the songs don't sink in, don't push past the surface
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  19. 6.8 |   Earbuddy

    Maybe one day when The Black Keys have more lyrical diversity, their sonic twang twist can get them past their producer’s influx
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  20. 6.5 |   Beardfood

    The record's saved by heartfelt songwriting and that unmistakable Black Keys swag even Danger Mouse can't ruin
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  21. 6.5 |   Under The Radar

    Turn Blue takes them from their garage rock roots to new territory. New for The Black Keys, as this new psychedelic direction is something we've heard before from more creative bands
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  22. 6.0 |   State

    When it works, it’s sublime – groovy, funky and shiny. But when it doesn’t it comes off as staid, derivative
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  23. 6.0 |   Spin

    It's not White Blood Cells or Icky Thump, but at least they no longer sound like they're producing records in a Black Keys factory
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  24. 6.0 |   NME

    There’s a lot to like about ‘Turn Blue’, but it’s a cruel irony that the heaviest hand in Dan Auerbach’s warts-and-all confessional sometimes seems to belong to his producer
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  25. 6.0 |   The Observer

    Turn Blue is a rather fine record, hugely engaging on the audiophile level, and one that humanises Auerbach
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  26. 6.0 |   DIY

    Much like that fancy sports car, 'Turn Blue' is big, bombastic and very well made. Just, at points, a teensy bit ostentatious
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  27. 6.0 |   Evening Standard

    Heady opener Weight of Love is an exercise in focused power, while Year in Review shows their back to basics approach isn’t wholly misplaced
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  28. 6.0 |   The Music

    A hypnotising, different record, but one that’s sometimes just a little too lethargic
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  29. 6.0 |   Mojo

    Once again the Black Keys know which notes to hit. Print edition only

  30. 6.0 |   The Irish Times

    With Danger Mouse at the console once again, The Black Keys are still firing on all cylinders, though going for a cruise rather than a crash
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  31. 5.8 |   Pitchfork

    Throughout Turn Blue, it's difficult to tell how invested these guys actually are in the music they're making, an indifferent attitude that encourages the listener to act in tandem
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  32. 4.2 |   A.V. Club

    An album that aspires to talk about the complex nature of relationships, yet has nothing meaningful to say
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  33. 4.0 |   The FT

    Chunky riffs and organ evoke the warmth of analogue recording, yet the effect is strangely synthetic
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The Black Keys: Turn Blue

  • Download full album for just £10.49
  • 1. Weight of Love N/A
  • 2. In Time N/A
  • 3. Turn Blue N/A
  • 4. Fever N/A
  • 5. Year in Review N/A
  • 6. Bullet In The Brain N/A
  • 7. It's Up to You Now N/A
  • 8. Waiting on Words N/A
  • 9. 10 Lovers N/A
  • 10. In Our Prime N/A
  • 11. Gotta Get Away N/A
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