A Garage Rocker Gives Songwriting a Spin in a Solo Debut

At 29 Mr. Auerbach at least qualifies as an old soul: “Keep It Hid” often sounds as if sprung from a psychedelic vault. Recorded at a home studio in Akron, where he lives with his wife and young daughter, it features acoustic as well as electric guitars, layered vocal harmonies, occasional upright bass, the vintage whine of a Mellotron.

But the album doesn’t quite feel retro or especially arcane. “The Black Keys music is dirty, grungy, noisy, swampy blues, and I think this opens up a little more,” said Nic Harcourt, a D.J. and former music director at the Santa Monica, Calif., radio station KCRW-FM, which has given “Keep It Hid” broad airplay over the last month.

“I hate to use the word, but it’s more accessible,” Mr. Harcourt added. “I can hear Neil Young in there, and I can hear Tom Waits in there. The blues are always present, but it feels like a songwriter’s record.” - NATE CHINEN / The NEW YORK TIMES