Turn Blue
by The Black Keys
  • Record Label: Nonesuch
  • Release Date: May 13, 2014
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 204 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 160 out of 204
  2. Mixed: 34 out of 204
  3. Negative: 10 out of 204
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  1. mbullock
    May 16, 2014
    5
    All bands evolve, this band has evolved in a direction that is no longer about balls to the wall rock n' roll. Weight of love is getting a lot of love but I would rather listen to instrumental Zappa or Broken Bells instead of a hybrid doing neither as well. Mass fan appeal started after Attack & Release, and it is from that point I started to lose interest. Great middle of the road albumAll bands evolve, this band has evolved in a direction that is no longer about balls to the wall rock n' roll. Weight of love is getting a lot of love but I would rather listen to instrumental Zappa or Broken Bells instead of a hybrid doing neither as well. Mass fan appeal started after Attack & Release, and it is from that point I started to lose interest. Great middle of the road album you can listen to with your grand parents.… Expand
  2. WadeVS
    May 18, 2014
    6
    It's a'ight. That's about as much as I can say. They dip into 60's, 70's and a bit of 80's even. Meh...................................................................................................................................................
  3. PavanPratury
    Jun 27, 2014
    5
    The Black Keys failed to impress with Turn Blue.Your last album El Camino is one of the best albums I heard till date. Rocking numbers that never last. And you took almost 2 and 1/2 years and came up with a mediocre album in the form of Turn Blue.
    When I first heard about the album I was ecstatic and expected a great follow up to El Camino but when I heard the single “Fever”, I was    The Black Keys failed to impress with Turn Blue.Your last album El Camino is one of the best albums I heard till date. Rocking numbers that never last. And you took almost 2 and 1/2 years and came up with a mediocre album in the form of Turn Blue.
    When I first heard about the album I was ecstatic and expected a great follow up to El Camino but when I heard the single “Fever”, I was disappointed yet expected a lot assuming the other songs would be great and then I got to hear the title track Turn Blue and it sounded more like a pop song and that made me felt gloomy about the album and when it got released I felt unhappy with the content of the album. I used to love their sound as they remind me the rock music of olden days.I found Weight of Love,In Time,Bullet in the Brain,year in Review are the only good songs in this album and somehow I did not find the rest of the songs as engaging and the Black Keys failed to come up with an intriguing music album. They tried different styles of Music but that did not work well as I feel it did not suited well to their image. Dan Auerbach had divorce while doing this album and that might have resulted in a dull album.So I have realized not to pre order their future stuff and also decided not to hurry up in buying their next album in the first few days.    … Expand
  4. Swishalicious29
    Apr 1, 2016
    4
    Just far too commercial for me too handle. The Keys have started to get kind of formulaic as well. Songs like "Fever" are way too sugary and simplistic. I think "Weight of Love" was the only track I loved off of this project.
  5. jrodfilms
    Sep 5, 2014
    5
    the black keys just dont do it for me. aside from the singles, and maybe one or two tracks from the album..nothing stands out and is memorable to me. but they do have an interesting psychedelic sound which I am glad is being appreciated.
  6. ydnar4
    Jul 29, 2014
    4
    I was very excited to listen to this album when I bought it but I waited a while before I gave it my first listen. I was disappointed with the record. I found it consistently average. This one features a little too much experimentation and not enough of what the fans have gotten to love about the group. I don't really even understand why the group would go so far with changing their soundI was very excited to listen to this album when I bought it but I waited a while before I gave it my first listen. I was disappointed with the record. I found it consistently average. This one features a little too much experimentation and not enough of what the fans have gotten to love about the group. I don't really even understand why the group would go so far with changing their sound after Brothers, El Camino and even Attack and Release. I'm hoping they will return to their old sound with their next record. I respect the band for having the guts to take the risk in making this album but I wasn't impressed with the end result. The songs I considered as highlights of the album were Waiting on Words, Gotta Get Away and Fever.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

43
#43 Most Discussed Album of 2014
58
#58 Most Shared Album of 2014

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
72

Generally favorable reviews - based on 39 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 39
  3. Negative: 1 out of 39
  1. Classic Rock Magazine
    Dec 18, 2014
    80
    For diehard fans and the inevitable new army of converts, however, this blue period is one to marvel at. [Jul 2014, p.94]
  2. Absolute Punk (Staff reviews)
    Jun 26, 2014
    45
    This record is guaranteed to indiscriminately piss off both kinds of Black Keys fans: the diehard purists yearning for the blues rock halcyon days and the recent devotees primed for another round of hooky singles.
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  3. Austin Chronicle
    Jun 19, 2014
    67
    Turn Blue pivots on such low-stakes grooves, the same ones sold so effectively to the mainstream. You could do a lot worse, but that of course is both a blessing and curse.
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