Turn Blue
by The Black Keys
  • Record Label: Nonesuch
  • Release Date: May 13, 2014
Metascore
72

Generally favorable reviews - based on 39 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 39
  3. Negative: 1 out of 39
Buy Now
Buy on
  1. Resident Advisor
    May 29, 2014
    60
    On Turn Blue you can tell the duo remain integral and solidly at the core, new influences or not.
  2. Mojo
    May 15, 2014
    60
    With its Magic Fly synthetic hustle, single Fever pulses with the same reductive pop genius, but doubtless deterred by the laws of diminishing returns the Keys have eschewed ab blanket reiteration--with mixed results. [Jun 2014, p.91]
    All this publication's reviews
  3. Spin
    May 14, 2014
    60
    It's not White Blood Cells or Icky Thump, but at least they no longer sound like they're producing records in a Black Keys factory.
  5. New Musical Express (NME)
    May 12, 2014
    60
    There’s a lot to like about Turn Blue, but it’s a cruel irony that the heaviest hand in Dan Auerbach’s warts-and-all confessional sometimes seems to belong to his producer.
  6. The Observer (UK)
    May 12, 2014
    60
    Turn Blue is less immediate than its predecessor, more sprawling and--according to the band--designed to be savoured in headphones.
  7. DIY Magazine
    May 12, 2014
    60
    Much like that fancy sports car, Turn Blue is big, bombastic and very well made. Just, at points, a teensy bit ostentatious.
  8. Pitchfork
    May 13, 2014
    58
    Throughout Turn Blue, it's difficult to tell how invested these guys actually are in the music they're making, an indifferent attitude that encourages the listener to act in tandem.
  9. Magnet
    Jun 18, 2014
    50
    Turn Blue is a soft pack of post-coital smokes, and Marlboro Lights 100's at that. [No. 110, p.51]
    All this publication's reviews
  10. Absolute Punk (Staff reviews)
    Jun 26, 2014
    45
    This record is guaranteed to indiscriminately piss off both kinds of Black Keys fans: the diehard purists yearning for the blues rock halcyon days and the recent devotees primed for another round of hooky singles.
  11. The A.V. Club
    May 13, 2014
    42
    Feelings are always “heavy” or a “burden,” and love is consistently “dark” or “light”; it’s thematic territory that feels stale for the band, and the result is an album that aspires to talk about the complex nature of relationships, yet has nothing meaningful to say.
  12. Boston Globe
    May 13, 2014
    40
    The best tunes are the first and last in “Weight of Love” (where Auerbach unleashes a two-minute guitar solo of vintage psychedelia) and the Stones-like punch of “Gotta Get Away.” Otherwise, most songs merely drift away.

Awards & Rankings

43
#43 Most Discussed Album of 2014
58
#58 Most Shared Album of 2014

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 204 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 160 out of 204
  2. Mixed: 34 out of 204
  3. Negative: 10 out of 204
  1. CombustibleLerp
    May 13, 2014
    10
    THIS ALBUM IS GOD. I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF BEING ONE OF THE EARLY CHOSEN FEW THINGS TO LISTEN TO THIS THING. AND. IT. IS. GUD. In allTHIS ALBUM IS GOD. I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF BEING ONE OF THE EARLY CHOSEN FEW THINGS TO LISTEN TO THIS THING. AND. IT. IS. GUD. In all seriousness this album is a brilliant piece of work and easily my favorite effort by The Black Keys to date.… Full Review »
  2. queenjaneapprox
    May 16, 2014
    8
    I've seen a litany of complaints about this album that should have little to no bearing on an assessment of its merits.

    First up: Their    I've seen a litany of complaints about this album that should have little to no bearing on an assessment of its merits.

    First up: Their sound has changed.
    Well, of course it has; they started as two guys in a basement with **** equipment. The gritty sound was created by the inability to do anything else. After 12 years they have the money, the studio, the network of musician peers to create something closer to what they originally intended. (Their 2012 CBS Sunday Morning interview featured the guys playing an Isaac Hayes record, "Walk On By," and stating, "That's all we've ever tried to do, right there." It's a sound they've only recently gotten close to capturing on Brothers and Turn Blue.) Their previous albums all feature roots of the sound they've arrived at...Year In Review uses a sample; The Breaks on their first album (The Big Come-Up, 2002) also used a sample. Angular guitar minimalism a la Magic Potion is apparent throughout. Their love of the Beatles and Led Zeppelin is still present (In Our Prime features a very Beatles-y transition, and they covered She Said She Said on their first album). This Black Keys is not so far removed from The Black Keys of 2002, or 2006, or 2010.

    Second: Danger Mouse is homogenizing music.
    To a certain extent, I do agree with this statement; I'd also like to point out that DM is not the first producer to have a signature sound. Ever heard of Phil Spector's Wall of Sound? Auerbach and Carney have referred to Brian Burton as a third member of the band, and his contributions form only 1/3 of the finished product. It's not as though he's taking music they've made and twisting it to fit his "sound." Obviously the Black Keys enjoy this collaborative process, and I'm enjoying the evolution of their music, wherever it takes them. (I've been a fan for almost a decade.)

    Third: The lyrics are misogynistic.
    This album was recorded while Auerbach was going through a messy divorce, complete with custody battle of his daughter. The lyrics reflect this turmoil in his life, but not to a degree that he takes no responsibility for the marriage failing; it falls far short of the sort of persecution complex Kanye West displays on his "breakup album" 808s and Heartbreak, for example. Also, if you aren't big into lyrical tropes such as "that woman done me wrong," you shouldn't be listening to music anyway, because heartbreak is the #1 topic of most songs.

    Fourth: They've sold out.
    They turned down £200,000 for use of one of their songs in an English mayonnaise commercial in the early days of the band, and later regretted it. At the time they had about $2000 in the bank and that money could've paid their rent for 20 years. When they were approached again, they agreed to let their songs be used in movies, commercials and TV shows. Immediately more people knew of them and came to their shows. I won't argue that they HAVEN'T "sold out," if we're basing it on the idea of bands using their music to promote things, but what musician or band HASN'T sold out (after being approached)? If it results in a wider audience, why not get your music out there? Sure, it's easy to argue that the Black Keys should've kept plugging away at smaller gigs, driving around in their **** van with no A/C, stayed a well-kept secret...but are there really any musicians who'd prefer that to being able to pay their bills doing what they love?

    This album isn't perfect by any means, but I don't think it deserves the criticism heaped on it by some critics and listeners. No, it's not as immediately accessible as El Camino; that album was made in the spirit of "somehow we've hit it big, and we're playing huge arenas now, and we want music that'll go over in that environment...catchy faster songs full of hooks." This album, starting with Weight of Love, is clearly much less concerned with what you think of it. It's two (+1) musicians exploring what they can do within the realm of this success and popularity they've achieved. If you want catchy hooks, it's right there on Fever, In Time, Year In Review, and 10 Lovers. If you want tributes to classic rock, it's right there on Weight Of Love, It's Up To You Now, In Our Prime and Gotta Get Away. Plus we get more soul/funk a la Everlasting Light on In Time and 10 Lovers. I for one am excited to see where they take us with each new album.    … Full Review »
  3. mbullock
    May 16, 2014
    5
    All bands evolve, this band has evolved in a direction that is no longer about balls to the wall rock n' roll. Weight of love is getting a lotAll bands evolve, this band has evolved in a direction that is no longer about balls to the wall rock n' roll. Weight of love is getting a lot of love but I would rather listen to instrumental Zappa or Broken Bells instead of a hybrid doing neither as well. Mass fan appeal started after Attack & Release, and it is from that point I started to lose interest. Great middle of the road album you can listen to with your grand parents.… Full Review »
See all user reviews »