The Moan - EP

Album Review

Like most such things, this four-track CD single is mostly of use to collectors and die-hard fans, as the material is not up to the standard of the Black Keys' albums. The title track is one of their less memorable efforts, clunking along in a scuzzy Howlin' Wolf punk groove that doesn't go much of anywhere. Also on board is an alternate version of a song from their first album, "Heavy Soul," and covers of the Stooges' "No Fun" and Richard Berry's "Have Love Will Travel," though the latter seems based on the Sonics' cover of the tune, not the original. Those two covers are the best half of the single, the band turning "No Fun" in particular into more of a gritty blues groove.