The Black Keys: El Camino

Label: Nonesuch

Destined to make plenty of 2012 year-end lists ('cause the band coyly slid the record out so late in '11), the Black Keys' latest mints this humbly anthemic rock & roll band as one of the few to truly establish a narrative greatness that unfurls over its entire career. This is classic American mainstream rock in the tradition (if not the sound) of Creedence, the E Street Band, and few others; even so, El Camino (which sports photos of minivans in its art -- kinda like, a man's home is his castle, even if it's his mom's basement?) continues the Keys' trajectory of reaching ever deeper into several sub-scenes of rock's past (punk, '60s garage, '70s FM-radio, even a bit of glam), all while remaining blues at the roots. "Hell of a Season" is one of any number of songs on the record that would stand out as a single, a hard-staring come-on over a pounding beat, while the actual single, "Lonely Beat," has its own swinging rhythm, a rousing gallop driving Dan Auerbach's rambling-punk vocals. "Money Maker" -- and yeah, it shakes -- reworks a classic three-note jag that you'd hear lots in, say, Billy Childish's music, garage and blues (and here, pop as well) at the same time. And "Sister," wow, we can immediately envision the ca. 1978 high-school dance for this jam. Don't take it for granted, this is a band in full and in full flight.