Up until the release of Dr. John’s latest LP, Locked Down, his influence was waning, per his last few albums. Records like Sippiana Hurricane and Creole Moon failed to make an impact, and Dr. John fell by the way side a bit. Step in Dan Auerbach. You know him as the guitarist of the Black Keys, and armed with a new found interest to revisit vintage Dr. John, attempts to revitalize the earthy, natural tones that made the legends first few records the masterpieces that they were.

One will immediately notice a Black Keys signature guitar sound to the record, and with good reason as Auerbach plays the guitars on this album. Some may remember the incident that saw Dr. John taking a bullet to the finger, which forced him from guitar to piano. Here, though, the guitars give Dr. John a modern sound to surround himself in, but it’s also a sound that’s grounded in it’s roots. Roots is really where the album thrives, almost as if they had taken today’s production ability and gone to the past to implement it.

Right from the start, with the track “Locked Down,” you know what you’re in for. The song opens with some bird sounds and then kicks into a slamming bass line, a drum roll, and then collides with an upbeat guitar riff. The lyrics set the tone for the record, which sees an angry, wearisome Dr. John walking through a world of  corruption and chaos. Dr. John growls on the track “Revolution,” “the revolution is in the final solution;” this is his final solution, and it’s one that is stark at moments. He even goes so far to play into conspiracies, belting on the track “Ice Age,” “KKK, CIA, all playing the same gig.”

While walking through Dr. John’s wasteland, there is some hope towards the end. The last track, “God’s Sure Good,” completes a cycle that is similar to what Bruce Springsteen did on his album Nebraska. The track showcases an upbeat guitar riff through a sprawling 70’s style R&B jam; the lyrics are a statement of how great God’s been to Dr. John and what he is grateful for.

Dan Auerbach’s production on this album is similar to what Rick Rubin has done for many artists like Johnny Cash, Linkin Park (Yeah, didn’t like the result there.), and The Avett Brothers. He exposed the great things about a genre defining artist and revitalized a career that should never have derailed in the first place.

Album Rating: Buy It on CD or Vinyl

Listening Co-efficient: Passive Listen

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