Published: 01 July 2010
by NORMANDIE HOCHE

OH, Black Keys, where have you been? London’s ears missed you so much! Luckily, last week the bass-less, bluesy Ohio duo returned with their delicious sound. 

Singer-guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney introduced their freshly released album, Brothers. The subtle mix of blues and rock never sounded so good – melancholic songs tinged with Motown shades and cowboy ballads that make you want to get your kicks on Road 66. 

Whether the twosome are now more into rock, soul or blues, it didn’t really matter to the audience. Those who feared the slide guitar and the dark side of The Black Keys’ mood could be missing on Brothers, were placated with a run-through of tracks from their back-catal­ogue. Old or new, all their melodies have that magic touch that makes them sound like classics.

In the pit, heads were shaking in every direction and fans couldn’t stop smiling, as if they had coat-hanger stuck in their mouths, while the balcony was shaking. “I wanted love, I needed love,” go the lyrics of Brothers’ brilliant first single, Tighten Up. Well, The Black Keys won the hearts of their Roundhouse audience.