The Black Keys had a little help announcing their new album, Turn Blue, relying on Mike Tyson and, uh, some creepy hypnotist guy to spread the news.
But when it came time to premiere the first single off that album, they decided to let the song speak for itself.
On Monday (March 24), the Keys unveiled “Fever,” a track that takes their tried-and-true formula — Dan Auerbach’s fuzzed-out guitars and hangdog howls, Patrick Carney’s heavy-handed work behind the drumkit — and punches it up with a psychedelic groove, adding keening organs, bells and a suite of studio effects to the mix.
In essence, “Fever” strikes a balance between the hard-charging riffs of 2011’s El Camino and the headier spaces explored on 2010’s Brothers and some of frequent collaborator Danger Mouse (who co-produced Turn Blue with Auerbach and Carney) recent work, most notably Broken Bells. And while purists may decry the duo’s turn away from their raucous, blues-indebted roots, well, there’s still hope yet.
An accompanying press release notes that Turn Blue was produced in a trio of studios (including Sunset Sound in Hollywood and Auerbach’s own Easy Eye Sound in Nashville) and hints that, while the Keys are definitely headed in different directions on their new album, they haven’t forgotten the past, either.
“We are always trying to push ourselves when we make a record, not repeat our previous work but not abandon it either,” Carney says in a statement. “On this record, we let the songs breathe and explored moods, textures and sounds. We’re excited for the world to hear Turn Blue.“
The Black Keys’ new album is due on May 13, and is already available for pre-order through the band’s site. The full tracklist for Turn Blue is:
» “Weight of Love”
» “In Time”
» “Turn Blue”
» “Fever”
» “Year in Review”
» “Bullet in the Brain”
» “It’s Up to You Now”
» “Waiting on Words”
» “10 Lovers”
» “In Our Prime”
» “Gotta Get Away”
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