The Black Keys: iTunes Sessions
By
Jonathan Kosakow 8 November 2010PopMatters Associate Events Editor
The Black Keys have a sound all their own, one that does not need to be reworked on every album to keep it feeling—and sounding—fresh. The iTunes Sessions is a perfect example. Though its ten tracks are comprised mostly of re-recorded songs from their recent release Brothers, the older tunes like “I’ll Be Your Man” don’t break up the unity of the sessions. It does not play like a greatest hits record, bouncing around from era to era, but instead feels like its own album altogether. Whether or not any of the tracks are new is irrelevant here. What is relevant is that the Black Keys have used their years to perfect their sound without losing their appeal. The appeal only gets stronger.
Jonathan Kosakow has been a regular contributor for PopMatters since 2009, and became Associate Events Editor two years later. He contributes to Glide Magazine's Hidden Track blog (www.hiddentrackblog.com), both on his own and as a member of the editorial collective Three Grown Men. His writing has also appeared on Relix.com and Jambands.com, but most of it can be found on the floor of his apartment or stashed away in files on his computer. Jonathan recently earned his Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing from the University of Denver, and does his best to be an active member of the music and writing community in the Denver/Boulder area. He is the Director of Operations at the Boulder-based company Eco Vessel, and is the co-founder of the music-related website NoiseReport.net, and the beer-related blog beermadeclear.com, both currently in production.
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