The Black Keys Pay Homage to Mississippi Blues with 'Delta Kream'
Blues/Rock duo The Black Keys released their tenth studio album, Delta Kream, on May 14th. Delta Kream comes nearly two years after Let’s Rock, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney’s ninth studio album, released on June 28th of 2019.
Following the trend of many other artists lately, the album is a collection of blues covers that the duo learned to play early on in their careers, by musicians that shaped them and their musical style.
The album was recorded in Nashville at Dan Auerbach’s studio and ultimately finds the duo paying homage to the Mississippi Delta, the home of blues, and a variety of artists that prospered there and influenced The Black Keys.
Some of the artists Auerbach and Carney pay tribute to include R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough (who you may recognize, as the duo previously covered his work on their 2006 EP Chulahoma), and Fred McDowell.
In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, written by Joseph Hudak, Dan Auerbach said, “‘This is basically folk music on a certain level, and a lot of this music is like hand-me-downs from generation to generation. I’m singing lyrics that are like third-generation wrong lyrics. I’m singing a certain version that Junior recorded where maybe he messed up a line, but that’s the only one I know. So we were really just kind of flying by the seat of our pants.”
About half of the songs on Delta Kream were originally recorded by Kimbrough, and one of his close musician colleagues R.L. Burnside is responsible for two other songs on the album. Former guitarist for Burnside, Kenny Brown, and former bassist for Kimbrough, Eric Deaton, also joined Auerbach and Carney on the album.
Kimbrough’s “Do the Rump,” which was cut from The Black Keys’ 2002 debut album The Big Come Up, makes a return on Delta Kream, titled “Do the Romp.” The 2021 version differs from the 2002 version in major ways; in the original, the Black Keys played hard, connecting with their inner rock roots. On the newer version, they are more subdued and relaxed, and arguably better connected with their blues influence.
Delta Kream isn’t nearly as exciting as some of The Black Keys’ louder, more raucous work, (see: Rubber Factory (2004)) but it certainly checks the boxes for what the duo’s goal was. For an album that was recorded in two days, it’s smooth, bluesy, and pays homage to one of their favorite, most influential artists.
 |
| Photo courtesy of Pitchfork |
Following the trend of many other artists lately, the album is a collection of blues covers that the duo learned to play early on in their careers, by musicians that shaped them and their musical style.
The album was recorded in Nashville at Dan Auerbach’s studio and ultimately finds the duo paying homage to the Mississippi Delta, the home of blues, and a variety of artists that prospered there and influenced The Black Keys.
Some of the artists Auerbach and Carney pay tribute to include R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough (who you may recognize, as the duo previously covered his work on their 2006 EP Chulahoma), and Fred McDowell.
 |
| Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney of The Black Keys / Photo courtesy of The Guardian |
In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, written by Joseph Hudak, Dan Auerbach said, “‘This is basically folk music on a certain level, and a lot of this music is like hand-me-downs from generation to generation. I’m singing lyrics that are like third-generation wrong lyrics. I’m singing a certain version that Junior recorded where maybe he messed up a line, but that’s the only one I know. So we were really just kind of flying by the seat of our pants.”
About half of the songs on Delta Kream were originally recorded by Kimbrough, and one of his close musician colleagues R.L. Burnside is responsible for two other songs on the album. Former guitarist for Burnside, Kenny Brown, and former bassist for Kimbrough, Eric Deaton, also joined Auerbach and Carney on the album.
Kimbrough’s “Do the Rump,” which was cut from The Black Keys’ 2002 debut album The Big Come Up, makes a return on Delta Kream, titled “Do the Romp.” The 2021 version differs from the 2002 version in major ways; in the original, the Black Keys played hard, connecting with their inner rock roots. On the newer version, they are more subdued and relaxed, and arguably better connected with their blues influence.
Delta Kream isn’t nearly as exciting as some of The Black Keys’ louder, more raucous work, (see: Rubber Factory (2004)) but it certainly checks the boxes for what the duo’s goal was. For an album that was recorded in two days, it’s smooth, bluesy, and pays homage to one of their favorite, most influential artists.
You can listen to Delta Kream below:
Comments
Post a Comment