Dan Auerbach

Dan Auerbach

Last year's Attack and Release gave the Black Keys a modern makeover courtesy of producer Danger Mouse that resulted in one of the most inventive blues records of recent memory. In its wake, the self-produced debut from guitarist/vocalist Dan Auerbach isn't quite the revelation it should be, though he demonstrates his keen versatility with like-minded grooves. From the Depression-era folk blues of opener "Trouble Weighs a Ton" to the haunting guitar chill of "Heartbroken, in Disrepair" and the gothic Delta blues of "When I Left the Room," Auerbach raises sand like T Bone Burnett. Same as with the wicked, snake-charming allure of "Mean Monsoon," Keep It Hid revels in the shadows, exploring a lonesome darkness rarely found in the Keys' garage rock grit. Bo Diddley romp "Street Walkin'" and thunderous Wayne Carson Thompson cover "I Want Some More" are Auerbach's heaviest, most blissfully psychedelic work to date.