Album Reviews: Dr. John-“Locked Down”

It’s been a long time since 1968, but fans of Dr. John’s first album, “Gris-Gris,”will relish in the fact that his new sound is reminiscent of the psychedelic blues that Dr. John was first famous for. “Locked Down” is essentially voodoo weirdness coupled with Black Keys-esque rock that bleeds through each song.

It isn’t surprising that the man responsible for the album’ssound is Dan Auerbach, the guitarist for the Black Keys, who produced and performed on the album. His influence can be heard on its opening track, also titled “Locked Down,” on which he plays slide guitar. Arguably his best performance on the album was on “Getaway,” where he closes the song with a distorted, vibrato-laden guitar solo.

Though it’s obvious that this new album is an opportunity for Dr. John to gain a younger fan base, “Locked Down”can sometimes sound more like a recently discovered Black Keys bootleg featuring Dr. John. It’s good news if you’re a Black Keys fan. However, Dr. John fans expecting some New Orleans boogie-woogie, a la “Dr. John’s Gumbo,” might be disappointed.

Some tracks worth downloading: “Big Shot,” “Ice Age,” “Getaway” and “Ellegua.”