Magic Potion : Black Keys : Review : Rolling Stone

If Led Zeppelin had formed in 1955 and recorded for Chess Records, they'd probably sound a lot like the Black Keys. Frontman Dan Auerbach plays guitar and sings like he's channeling the ghost of John Lee Hooker, which is even more remarkable when you consider that he's a twenty-seven-year-old white kid from Akron, Ohio. Comparisons with the White Stripes are inevitable (both groups rose to prominence in the early 2000s, have color-coded names and feature just two members), but as Jack White spends his time making Coke commercials and forming side projects with bass players, the Black Keys have refused to yield an inch. On their fourth album, Auerbach and drummer Pat Carney dish out another serving of minimalist blues-rock tunes like the marauding "Modern Times" and the mournful heartache song "The Flame." The sound may be retro, but pure blues rock of this caliber is really timeless.