Quickie Album Reviews: The Black Keys, Jeniferever, & The Mates of State

The Black Keys – Chulahoma: The Songs Of Junior Kimbrough (Fat Possum)
Part gift for the fans, part sacred duty for lead singer, Dan Auerbach, Chulahoma is an EP of six covers of the late and under appreciated bluesman, Junior Kimbrough. A dark, moody set that has an eerie calmness not found on previous releases. Complete with a phone-message stamp of approval from Kimbrough’s widow, this should keep the people happy until January’s expected full-length. – Gabe Burger

Jeniferever – Choose A Bright Morning (Drowned in Sound)
Sometimes an act or movie or tv show comes along that’s so good that its subsequent releases end up really only competing against itself... like how the third season of The Sopranos wasn’t as good as the second, but still outclassed everything else on television. And actually Jeniferever’s first full-length album is a lot like a later season of The Sopranos: It may not be quite as captivating as the band's earlier work (which seemed to have a Mogwai/EITS post-rock influence), but it has moments of originality and brilliance that clearly distinguish it from the rest of the pack. - Joe Fielder

Mates Of State – Bring It Back (Barsuk)
With Bring It Back, Mates Of State stop being a kitschy-cute curiosity and become a major force in the happenings of NOW. A gloriously huge, staggering juggernaut of a pop record, they have never sounded so fleshed-out, focused... perfect. A must-have for the electro-pop set, or any set for that matter. And the last song, Running Out, will leave you breathless. – Gabe Burger