Hear Me Out: The Black Keys, "Fever"

By Courtesy Chart Attack

It’s difficult to compare The Black Keys’s new single, “Fever,” to any of their previous discography, as the track’s infectious dance beat and synths mark a deliberate departure from the distinctive blues rock and garage vibe that characterized their first seven studio albums. With “Fever,” Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney move beyond the guitar-laden days of “Thickfreakness” (2003) and “Magic Potion” (2006), experimenting with an indie-dance rock sound suggestive of Passion Pit while retaining Auerbach’s classic soulful vocals. Part of this shift can be attributed to Danger Mouse, who co-produced the band’s 2011 release “El Camino” and returns as a producer on their upcoming album, “Turn Blue.” The pulsing bass beat and funky synth melody that dominate “Fever” are stylistically reminiscent of Electric Guest, an indie rock band for whom Danger Mouse also produced.

On “Fever,” The Black Keys present a more modernized sound but have regressed lyrically and emotionally. When Auerbach croons in the stale chorus, “Fever ’cause I’m breakin’ / Fever got me achin’,” his typically emotive delivery is significantly undercut by the dance beat. Given the emotional and lyrical depth of similarly upbeat previous tracks such as “Dead and Gone” and “Nova Baby,” this new single comes off as a rather unmemorable experiment with indietronica. On the other hand, lines such as “You know not to leave her” suggest something deeper at play behind the scenes—Auerbach recently finalized divorce proceedings in fall 2013 after a messy estrangement from his then-wife Stephanie Gonis.

“Fever” is the band’s first new release since it won three Grammy Awards for “El Camino,” and its drastic shift in sound fails to capture the same emotional and musical complexity of their previous works. Until the release of “Turn Blue,” it’s up in the air whether The Black Keys will be able to replicate their previous success or leave fans yearning for the days of “The Big Come Up.”

“Turn Blue” is out on May 12 via Nonesuch in the United States.

—Staff writer Alan R. Xie can be reached at alan.xie@thecrimson.com.