The Black Keys have given stirring performances of Crawling Kingsnake and Going Down South – both taken from their recent blues covers album Delta Kream – during an appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
Recorded at iconic Mississippi blues venue Blue Front Café, the show sees the Ohio duo deliver stellar renditions of the John Lee Hooker and R.L. Burnside originals.
Frontman Dan Auerbach and guitarist Kenny Brown – who not only lent his six-string skills to the album, but is also a former sideman of R. L. Burnside – trade tasteful lead lines and luscious bluesy slides throughout, backed up by drummer Patrick Carney, bassist Eric Deaton and percussionist Sam Bacco.
Delta Kream – which arrived last week via Nonesuch Records – is The Black Keys' first release since their ninth studio album, 2019's Let's Rock. The 11-track record sees the pair pay tribute to their blues inspirations, including Ranie Burnette, Junior Kimbrough and Big Joe Williams.
“This is basically folk music on a certain level, and a lot of this music is like hand-me-downs from generation to generation,” Auerbach recently told Rolling Stone.
“I’m singing lyrics that are like third-generation wrong lyrics. I’m singing a certain version that Junior recorded where maybe he messed up a line, but that’s the only one I know. So we were really just kind of flying by the seat of our pants.”
Delta Kream is available now. Check out its full tracklisting below:
- Crawling Kingsnake (John Lee Hooker)
- Louise (Mississippi Fred McDowell)
- Poor Boy a Long Way From Home (R. L. Burnside)
- Stay All Night (Junior Kimbrough)
- Going Down South (R. L. Burnside)
- Coal Black Mattie (Ranie Burnette)
- Do the Romp (Junior Kimbrough)
- Sad Days, Lonely Nights (Junior Kimbrough)
- Walk with Me (Junior Kimbrough)
- Mellow Peaches (Big Joe Williams)
- Come on and Go with Me (Junior Kimbrough)
