Dan Auerbach for a long time now has worked with Danger Mouse, (aka Brian Burton) who has served as a producer on numerous The Black Keys records. Now, the two are working together again for a one-off single, "Fools Gold" by The Arcs for Burton's new label 30th Century Records.
The album, titled 30th Century Records Compilation Volume I, is set for release Friday (Dec. 18) and will feature music from bands such as Autolux and Apache Sun, according to Stereogum.
"Fools Gold" is a laid-back blues tune with a great back and forth echo of the guitar and carnival-like keys. Following Auerbach's more recent propensity to seize the limelight with extended guitar solos, the song features one of his longest since Turn Blue's opening track "The Weight Of Love." It's choppier and more scripted than the off-the-cuff Black Keys solo, but it's got all the messy fuzz that fans have come to love from the blues guitarist.
"Generally, Fool's Gold is made of iron or copper pyrites that are often mistaken for gold. It has the same thrilling discovery, the same shiny luster and perceived weight as gold, but it isn't gold and when all is said and done, it has the same value as a hunk of sh*t," Auerbach said in a statement about the new track. "It's always been so easy to be a fool. We recorded this song at Easy Eye Sound in the summer of 2015. Honored to have it released on Brian's new imprint."
Earlier this year Auerbach released Yours Dreamily, his first album with The Arcs following a Black Keys tour that was cut short. This week, the band released its second record, The Arcs vs. The Inventors Vol. I, kicking off a series in which the band pairs with overlooked legacy artists.
