The Singles Jukebox

Not a Peggy Lee cover…

[Video][Website]
[5.17]

Megan Harrington: “Fever” is both adequate and slightly over-produced. The Black Keys are slicker with each release, so this retro hallucination is expected. They’re catchy and sturdy, the time-keeping is tenuous and the keyboards are mashed. Your parents came around to “Let My Love Open the Door,” and you’ll find “Fever” worthy of deep cut status in a couple decades. Weighing the counterbalance, Danger Mouse is completely groan-worthy here. Why is there a vocal echo? Why are the bass levels distorted? These are such distracting choices. My score nods towards forgiveness; there’s solid songwriting here. 
[7]

Patrick St. Michel: In which The Black Keys go to a garage sale, by some rinky-dink organ you’d expect to hear on Nuggets, and come up with a song that still just sounds like The Black Keys.
[4]

Alfred Soto: You boys sure love your organ! As usual, they make mirror movies before an audience ready to applaud them for embracing verities no band did in 1983, 1976, or 1965.
[3]

Daniel Montesinos-Donaghy: The drum jabs that open the track are easily the most interesting thing to listen to – the rest is overpriced barroom backing noise. And I like overpriced barrooms as much as the next guy! But those drums — and that creepy funfair riff — sound like a far more entertaining dive bar.
[5]

Iain Mew: Featurelessness doesn’t seem like the most obvious of things to compliment about a song, but in The Black Keys’ case sanding off their edges to become a Broken Bells with nominal blues trappings is a step up. I’ve never been so unannoyed by their vocals, and the way the song tilts on its axis and pours into the coda is lovely.
[7]

Brad Shoup: Maybe the “Abracadabra” synths help take away from his wheedle. The rumbly bass and general rock statis ensures this will stay on rock radio for weeks purely by default.
[5]