Random musings on Sundays, and why The Black Keys are officially forgiven

If I had to pick, I'd say Sunday is my favourite of all the days. Part of it - also the reason I'm very fond of Saturday nights - is that, regardless of timezones, the rest of the world is also having a weekend, so there's less chance of work coming in from overseas. I seldom have more than a handful of emails to deal to on a Sunday morning, and that's a delight in and of itself. And Sundays always contain brunch, king of the meals. I do love brunch. I could write screeds about brunch. Yesterday it was pancakes and coffee at the beach with an old, cherished friend. Followed by shopping for a bridesmaid dress for the wedding of an older, no-less-cherished friend. A long run, a yoga class, and a cup of tea with another friend later, I was ready for the serious business of chillin'.

That's what I love about Sundays. I live a charmed, almost disgustingly unencumbered little life, where - at least on Sundays - there's always a little bit of time for whatever takes my fancy. And yesterday, my fancy was taken by a long, loud, session with The Black Keys. Three albums in a row - Attack and Release, The Big Come Up and Brothers - of that beautiful, rocky blues.

Attack and Release (2008) remains my favourite by far of their albums. It has a certain je ne sais quois - like a really raw, almost angry edge to it, but it's polished and professional and beautifully put together. It grabs you from the start - the opener, 'All You Ever Wanted', strikes me as blisteringly emotional, while simultaneously gentle and somehow resigned. It vies for favourite with the similarly intense "Lies" - less gentle, more combatant, no less brilliant. From start to finish, this album manages to be both intense but also somehow benign, a manageable listen. I suspect this album would sneak on to my (as yet unpublished) Desert Island List.



I confess, it has taken me this long to forgive The Black Keys for the Big Day Out abomination. I was irrationally hurt and devastated and betrayed that they cancelled that tour. They were to be the highlight of my summer and - as one of their followers on Facebook - I'm afraid I wasn't convinced by the "exhaustion" argument... activity did seem to continue rather unabated after the cancelled tour. 

But here's the thing: it's all about forgiveness. I've been mad at them for a couple of months, but at the end of the day I need that dirty guitar-driven blues in my life. I love them too much to exist without them. So on Sunday afternoon we had a rough, loud, distinctly emotional make-up session. It was beautiful and cathartic and seriously satisfying. In fact, it was so good, we did it again this morning before work.

When it comes to The Black Keys, at least, all, it seems, is forgiven.