THE BLACK KEYS
Chulahoma
Fat Possum Records
· Akron, Ohio’s two-piece answer to the blues, pay homage to a Mississippi legend.
Junior Kimbrough’s hypnotic modal blues have always been the cornerstone of the Fat Possum label. A posthumous all-star tribute album in 2005 gave him his due, but The Black Keys have done one better with this collection of six Kimbrough classics.
Junior’s records were always raw as hell – from the almost hand-sketched lo-fi field recordings to the live discs recorded in his own juke joint – and The Black Keys stay true to that feeling. The added fidelity of Chulahoma only makes the songs more immediate. Dan Auerbach lays down solos as fat as Mississippi barbecue with licks that are just as juicy. In true Kimbrough spirit, these songs take their time and instead of merely covering the songs, The Black Keys sound more like they are channelling the old man himself. But don’t take my word for it. The hidden track on Chulahoma is a phone message from Junior’s widow, giving her seal of approval. If they can impress her, they can impress anyone – and they do.
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