The Black Keys unveiled a fresh blues ripper, “Eagle Birds,” from their forthcoming album, Let’s Rock, out June 28th via Easy Eye Sound/Nonesuch Records.
“Eagle Birds” boasts a familiar stomp atop which frontman Dan Auerbach picks out in-the-red riffs before spiraling into a wicked guitar solo. Amidst the six-string theatrics, “Eagle Birds” features an infectious chorus, with Auerbach singing, “Don’t nobody wanna be lonely/Everybody oughta be loved sometime.”
Let’s Rock marks the Black Keys’ ninth album and first in five years, following 2014’s Turn Blue. The band produced the album and tracked it live at Auerbach’s Eeasy Eye Sound studio in Nashville, tapping Leisa Hans and Ashley Wilcoxson to provide back-up vocals.
Both Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney have kept busy with a variety of projects in the years since Turn Blue, but in an interview with Rolling Stone, the pair noted how easy it was to pick up where they left off. “It’s this magic that happens with Pat and I,” Auerbach said. “It was the same thing that happened when we were 16 and started playing, and magically, it just sounds like music. It was really awesome, having the break and then coming back and just playing with Pat again. It felt great.”
The Black Keys will embark on a North American tour this fall in support of Let’s Rock, starting September 21st with a set at Life Is Beautiful in Las Vegas, Nevada. Modest Mouse will provide support throughout the trek, while other special guests include Shannon and the Clams, Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, *Repeat Repeat and Jessy Wilson on select dates.