Two-man bands seem to hit the right hook. Take, for example, The Black Keys: vocalist/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer/producer Patrick Carney. Their seventh album, El Camino, was released late last year.

Let's begin with their name: as mentioned during an interview on a Philadelphia radio station, Auerbach and Carney named their act after a schizophrenic artist would leave jumbled messages on their answering machines and refer to their fathers as "black keys." Oddly enough, the name stuck and the two gentlemen continued to create a sound that fused blues, garage rock and a low-fi growl.

The idea for this album's title came during a long drive on tour across Canada, said Carney. "We drove past an El Camino ... one of us suggested we name our record (that) and we both liked it." But just so you know, the vehicle on the cover is actually a Chrysler Town & Country van.

On El Camino, Auerbach and Carney created a beginning tune with "Lonely Boy." Their video is a one-shot deal of a man dancing to his own groove.

One can argue about the quality of the song-writing on the album. It's not outstanding (a little work with a thesaurus could have helped), but it's heartfelt and simple. Maybe that's what makes the Black Keys so good: a simple heart, a great riff and top-notch drumming skills. Give those tools to the right two guys and you have a band that knows how to keep time and produce a fresh sound.

Auerbach and Carney effectively continue El Camino with relentless heart-on-their-sleeve songwriting. Simple alt-rock has never been so sweet.

For more information on the band, visit theblackkeys.com.

Rating: 4 out of 5