Following a lengthy, five-year hiatus, Grammy-winning alternative collective The Black Keys return with a respectable new single, “Lo/Hi.”

“You get low (low) like a valley / Then high (high) like a bird in the sky / You get low (low) ‘cause you’re angry / Low, high, high, low.” The Black Keys have been MIA for nearly five years.  The last time Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney released an album was in May 2014, when their excellent divorce-fueled record Turn Blue arrived.  Since then, Auerbach released a solo album, Waiting on a Song (2017).  Finally, the duo is reunited on a tight, three-minute single, “Lo/Hi.”

The sound of “Lo/Hi” is about what you expect from The Black Keys.  There’s a sick, consistent drum groove, biting, distorted guitars, and assertive vocals from Auerbach.  The assertiveness of Auerbach’s vocals is amplified by the use of distortion as well, a trademark of the duo. Further happing Dan’s cause are rousing background vocals, which have a soulfulness about them. Ultimately, once more, The Black Keys do a great job of capturing old-school rock, with its 60s, ‘garage-styled’ vibes.  Lyrically, there’s nothing spectacular, as the aforementioned chorus suggests, but it’s sufficient without dare ‘going above and beyond.’

Final Thoughts 

All in all, “Lo/Hi” is a respectable return for The Black Keys.  The wheel is not reinvented by any means – innovative spirit is not the modus operandi – but the results are pleasant.  The biggest rub is that it would’ve been nice to hear something that packs an even more memorable, sizable punch.  Perhaps Auerbach and Carney have more up their sleeves in the near-future.  Until then, “Lo/Hi” will suffice.

The Black Keys • Lo/Hi [Single] • Nonesuch • Release: 3.7.19

Photo Credit: Nonesuch