Despite all of its strengths, there is some aspeect just doesn’t feel important about “El Camino.” While musically it may be the most fun, lyrically it isn’t nearly as impactful as earlier albums “Brothers” or “Rubber Factory”. On the other hand, it feels like the band knows what “El Camino” is. It does not seem outrageous to wager that maybe the band just wanted some leave the heaviness and heartache to future albums and just enjoy themselves for the moment.
“El Camino” is by far The Black Keys’ most consistent record. In many of their past albums, it was often tempting to skip to the favorite tracks. “El Camino” however, has no clear best song. Each track seems as good as the last, which is quite an achievement. While there are no clear transitions between tracks to speak of, the album flows very well, making it difficult to just listen to one song. That more than anything should indicate the quality of the album.
“El Camino” may be all sugar and no substance, but boy is that sugar sweet.