The Black Keys Honor The Blues with ‘Delta Kream’

The Black Keys pay homage to the Delta Blues with their new album ‘Delta Kream’.

Dan Auerbach says, “We made this record to honor the Mississippi hill country blues tradition that influenced us starting out. These songs are still as important to us today as they were the first day Pat and I started playing together and picked up our instruments. It was a very inspiring session with Pat and me along with Kenny Brown and Eric Deaton in a circle, playing these songs. It felt so natural.”

On ‘Delta Kream’ the band performs the music of R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimborough, Mississippi Fred McDowell and others. The first taste of the album is a cover of John Lee Hooker’s ‘Crawling King Snake’.

Auehbach says, “I first heard [John Lee] Hooker’s version in high school. My uncle Tim would have given me that record. But our version is definitely Junior Kimbrough’s take on it. It’s almost a disco riff!” Carney adds, “We fell into this drum intro; it’s kind of accidental. The ultimate goal was to highlight the interplay between the guitars. My role with Eric was to create a deeper groove.”

‘Delta Kream’ was recorded in 10 hours. Patrick Carney explains, “The session was planned only days in advance and nothing was rehearsed. We recorded the entire album in about ten hours, over two afternoons, at the end of the ‘Let’s Rock’ tour.” ‘Let’s Rock’ was released in 2019.

Delta Kream Track Listing:

1. Crawling Kingsnake (John Lee Hooker / Bernard Besman)
2. Louise (Fred McDowell)
3. Poor Boy a Long Way From Home (Robert Lee Burnside)
4. Stay All Night (David Kimbrough, Jr.)
5. Going Down South (Robert Lee Burnside)
6. Coal Black Mattie (Ranie Burnette)
7. Do the Romp (David Kimbrough, Jr.)
8. Sad Days, Lonely Nights (David Kimbrough, Jr.)
9. Walk with Me (David Kimbrough, Jr.)
10. Mellow Peaches (Joseph Lee Williams)
11. Come on and Go with Me (David Kimbrough, Jr.)

The Black Keys ‘Delta Kream’ will be released on 14 May 2021.

Noise11.com