The Black Keys - Magic Potion

The more I listen to this riff-based guitar and drum duo, the less annoyed I am with their derivativeness, and the more I enjoy their exuberance at simply rocking out. This is nothing more or less than what it is. A guitarist and drummer in a basement running through a batch of songs that are as unoriginal as they are unpretentious. The first three songs are actually pretty good, with “You’re the One” a standout. Unlike The White Stripes, who can get obnoxious in their forced attempts at reinventing the blues, The Black Keys play close to the belt. This is their fourth studio album, and their first on the prestigious Nonesuch label. It starts out with a nod to Jimi Hendrix feedback. On “Just a Little Heat,” they have the audacity to begin with three very famous Led Zeppelin notes. Fans of '70s era heavy rock can find dozens of albums superior in every way to Magic Potion, but none of them have been released in the last ten years. [www.theblackkeys.com]