The Black Keys' ninth studio album, "Let's Rock," is out now on Easy Eye Sound / Nonesuch Records. The long-awaited album, the band's first in five years, is a return to the straightforward rock of the singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney's early days as a band. Auerbach says, "When we're together we are The Black Keys, that's where that real magic is, and always has been since we were sixteen." To pick up a copy of "Let's Rock," head to your local record store, iTunes, Amazon, The Black Keys shop, and the Nonesuch Store, where CD and vinyl orders include a download of the complete album at checkout. The album can also be heard on Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming services.
"Let's Rock" was written, tracked live, and produced by Auerbach and Carney at Easy Eye Sound studio in Nashville and features backing vocals from Leisa Hans and Ashley Wilcoxson. "The record is like an homage to electric guitar," says Carney. "We took a simple approach and trimmed all the fat like we used to."
"In an era of blatantly computerized pop," says the New York Times' Jon Pareles in a feature profile of the band, "'Let’s Rock' flaunts basics from yesteryear: guitars, drums, vocals."
"From top to bottom, the 12-track 'Let’s Rock' holds tight to captivating instrumentation, with guitar at the center," says the Associated Press. "The Black Keys are rock royalty and to the relief of many, they aren’t quite ready to relinquish their reign."
"Rock is a living thing," says Rolling Stone's four-star review, "and guitars can be your best friends in the war on jive."
Paste says: “If you want something you can crank up at backyard barbecues or in the car with the windows down, well, The Black Keys have two words for you, and they’re in the album title.”
"A rock classic," says the four-star Times of London Album of the Week review. "Auerbach and Carney capture the essence of solid, back-to-basics rock ’n’ roll in a way that cannot help but make you feel good. 'Let’s Rock' makes for a great summer album because The Black Keys do this kind of thing with such élan."
The album also earns four-star reviews from the Sun, Daily Mirror, Metro, and the Guardian, which says: "Rousing return makes good on its title. A no-nonsense album packed with crowdpleasing riffs. The music is persuasive: hard, shining rock, with an irresistible pop edge."
The "Let's Rock" Tour will hit cities including Chicago, Nashville, New York, Los Angeles, and Austin (full dates below). Special guests Modest Mouse will provide support on all dates, and Shannon & The Clams, Jimmy "Duck" Holmes, *repeat repeat, and Jessy Wilson will each open select shows on the tour. The band also headlines 2019's Life Is Beautiful festival in Las Vegas on Saturday, September 21. Tickets for all dates are on sale at nonesuch.com/on-tour.
THE BLACK KEYS ON TOUR
* with Modest Mouse and *repeat repeat
** with Modest Mouse and Jessy Wilson
^ with Modest Mouse and Shannon & the Clams
