Face it: The Black Keys aren’t the rough-around-the-edges, two-piece, garage-blues band some stubborn, “I saw them back then” fans want them to be — at least not right now.
But Ohio Players, the new album from Akron natives Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney, proves that’s no tragedy. The band’s new era is simply the result of maturity, an embrace of collaboration, the production prowess that has made Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound a success and a further exploration of genres beyond the Delta Blues that made them.
The April 5 release inspired a weeklong re-exploration of the band’s discography. Paired with recent efforts, like 2022’s Dropout Boogie and 2014’s Turn Blue, the shift has been a slow burn. But looking back to, let’s say, 2004’s Rubber Factory, the duo’s 20-year evolution is, of course, stark — more than some critics describe. By Attack & Release, the boys from Akron were introducing keys and mellower sounds, and by Brothers and El Camino, the songs grew bigger, fuller and more dynamic.
Those often ill-informed and overstated White Stripes comparisons do not come to mind throughout this new 44-minute, 14-track EP. Still rooted in fuzzy blues rock, Ohio Players plays in genres outside the garage. This effort focuses more on the roll than the rock. The lead single “Beautiful People (Stay High)” offers a textured groove that harkens back to Primal Scream’s Screamadelica, a dance-infused take on ’90s rock and Rolling Stones-style blues, not unlike certain songs from Beck, who contributed to this album.
Those moments might be more familiar to listeners of Auerbach side project The Arcs. “Don’t Let Me Go” is a good example with its moody upstroke guitars perfectly timed with a bell-like chime — at least until it explodes into a Phil Spector, ’60s-inspired chorus reminiscent of the Spector-produced Ronnettes or even the Mamas and Papas. “Read ’Em and Weep” offers surf-rock vibes, which features a solo that’s an obvious Dick Dale reference.
Influences from the band’s collaborators — including longtime allies Danger Mouse and Beck and new friend Noel Gallagher, formerly of Oasis — are evident, too. Though Gallagher didn’t contribute to it, “Live Till I Die” reminds one of those epic, saturated, plucked-out riffs that kicked off so many great Oasis songs but with the chug of Neil Young/Crazy Horse’s “Cinnamon Girl.” One song he did work on, “On the Game,” features a classic Brit-pop chord progression with a constant tambourine in the background. Beck, who produced seven of the album’s songs, even takes lead vocals on “Paper Crown.”
Speaking of “Paper Crown,” there is some seriously uncharted territory here, too. Around the album’s midpoint, we get two hip-hop collaborations from Lil Noid and Juicy J: “Candy and Her Friends” and “Paper Crowns,” respectively. In both instances, the music quickly diverts into a heavy trap beat that carries little else but a riff from the previous few minutes. On Juicy J’s song, Beck’s piece slows and fades into another trap beat, West Coast whistle synth and a classic Juicy J verse. Here, more of the song’s first half is carried over with an auto-tuned version of the first chorus.
Hearing Juicy J with Beck and the Black Keys is a 30-something’s dream — music we grew up on but that rarely mixed. While I wish both heavy rap moments were more seamlessly incorporated into the songs, neither felt out of place. They were pretty well executed, too, with the bass felt in your gut. Hopefully, the band will continue to hone this sound in future projects.
Those abrupt transitions might be a nod to the DJ sets that Auerbach and Carney have repeatedly said inspired the album. The “Record Hang” dance parties in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami and more have focused on classic, rare vinyl records that groove, such as Dayton’s legendary Ohio Players, whose blessing the boys got for the album title.
The drums are one piece of contention. They’re a little too loud in the mix, which makes it sound busy, at times, and occasionally interferes with the vocals. Maybe, as the sound gets bigger and bigger, there’s an effort to mix Carney a bit higher to highlight the drummers’ contributions. But his characteristic boom-clap tone and signature beats would do the trick on their own.
Throughout the album, on tracks like “This is Nowhere,” Auerbach sings of escaping into the wind blowing through your hair, parties with friends, love and the deep recesses of a spaced-out mind. Some of these themes are familiar to Auerbach, but never have they sounded so fun.
And neither have the Black Keys. Ohio Players is the band’s best effort since El Camino because it feels inspired. This new era of groovy, upbeat collaboration, rather than the swampy stoned blues that made them famous, fits the band at this high point in their career and makes us even more excited for what’s to come.
The Black Keys visit Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Oct. 12 as part of its International Players tour.
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