Hacienda

No band have been cheering more for the success of the Black Keys than this San Antonio, TX quartet, who have worked with the Keys' Dan Auerbach on their previous two albums. Auerbach returns for production duties on Shakedown and his funky mix of vintage pop, R&B and glam rock is sure to make this record intriguing to anyone who jumped on the Keys' bandwagon with El Camino. Shakedown also contains more than a few sonic lessons that Auerbach has learned from Danger Mouse. Where does that leave the actual music of Hacienda? The band have more than enough ability to write catchy tunes, and songs like opener "Veronica" and "Let Me Go" crackle with a mix AM radio energy and NYC post-punk jaggedness. But it doesn't take long for the desire to have Auerbach dial down his magic formula just a notch to take hold. Hacienda are now in the uncomfortable position of being tied to someone a great deal more famous than they are. It's going to take another album to see if they want to break from that or risk being accused of simply cashing in on the Black Keys' fame. Unfortunately, Shakedown doesn't offer a definitive answer.