09EL CAMINO THE BLACK KEYS

(2011)

Dan Auerbach packed more catchy, feel-good riffs into Elcamino than many bands can muster in an entire career. The Black Keys’ seventh album saw the duo of guitarist Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney taking more cues from 50s rock ’n’ roll than from the North Mississippi bluesmen that had inspired their earliest albums. Well known for using a pick and mix assortment of quirky guitars, Auerbach opted for a 1953 Les Paul for much of El Camino and employed some fun toys for the record’s stand-out guitar moments, including a pitch shifter on Lonelyboy and a talk box for the solo on Moneymaker.