The vibrant blues rock of the Black Keys and the songs of Michel Jonasz

We will be grateful to this American duo for not standing still. On their twelfth album, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney attempt to break free from their shackles. Articulated around a guitar, a voice and a drums, the formula developed by the two musicians allowed them to experience an unexpected triumph with the album Brothers in 2010.

Since then, the band has struggled to stay relevant as they have become one of the biggest bands in the world. Before them, REM had experienced this situation. On Ohio Players, which arrives after a handful of lazy records, we have the feeling that something new is finally happening on a Black Keys production. This requires a race for collaboration. The sound is enormous, the orchestration dense and the guests omnipresent. In particular Beck, whose career has been losing momentum for around fifteen years after a resounding start.

We wonder who benefits most from collaboration. Otherwise, the always friendly Noel Gallagher also tips the tip of his guitar in what very much resembles a nineties revival. The songs are good, well produced, the whole thing is very pleasant and entertaining. Sometimes you don’t need more to make a good record. Not unforgettable but very nice. The concerts on May 12 and 13 at the Zénith in Paris promise great moments.

Michel Jonasz is celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the release of his first album this year with two anthologies of his work. It took a few years, and as many records, to become a successful singer. From the moment he became a singer-songwriter in 1977, Jonasz became a reference. He was the only popular song artist since Nougaro to swing like a jazzman, and to surround himself with big names when his colleagues too often neglected the arrangements of their productions.

These two compilations (one in the studio, the other in concert) pay tribute to his powerful repertoire. We will never tire of compositions like The Red Ants, Lucille, The Carts or I Wanted to Tell You That I'm Waiting for You. Without forgetting La Boîte de Jazz, not his best, but certainly his biggest hit, released in 1985. After this peak, Michel Jonasz became a more confidential singer, but certain albums allowed him to return to the level of his best production. We hope that this well-designed anthology will allow neophytes to become familiar with an artist of the caliber of Alain Souchon, Louis Chedid and others.