The grit and sound of a two member band is unbelievable. The White Stripes, Royal Blood, Tenacious D. On top, one of the bands that is mentioned a number of times is The Black Keys. Responsible for the sound you hear in action based post-explosion walkaways, the two-man band has changed the game. Dan Auerbach and Patrick Cerney are responsible for greasy, pub crawling rock that can also make someone from Upper Manhattan groove. It’s all in the hook, and they’ve kept it going in style for their 13th full length album. This one is called Ohio Players.
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For the record, it is important to note how much of an impact The Black Keys have had on garage rock. Along with The White Stripes, they were a duo that were part of the second wave of the genre. Using bluesy riffs and instant radio shock attacks, they quickly climbed the charts with their songs. Auerbach has stated several times how blues legends like Johnson, Howlin’ Wolf and R.L Burnside are his inspirations. Tune that into a distortion amp, kick up the tempo and strip down the drama. That is how you get The Black Keys recipe.
After their long hiatus and return in 2019 with Let’s Rock, The Black Keys have been pretty consistent in their releases. Ohio Players showcases that familiar chemistry, along with Dan revisiting some of his favourite blues stalwarts. The catchy pop rock reverie of This is Nowhere opens the album. The playful echo of Don’t Let Me Go comes next. Simple chord changes, catchy lyrics, the open road and familiar percussion. The band is back like a familiar meal of grilled cheese and tomato soup.
Their tunes still remain as hummable as ever. When recording with the great Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Dan Auerbach talked about how something that people instantly connect with is what they remember forever. It is a ZZ Top mantra that has kept their songs so refreshing, yet such a unique flavour of garage rock. Stripping it down to its basics, each song still sounds like it has been recorded on an 8 track tape with a few bottles of beers and a dream to just enjoy playing live.
Patrick Cerney appreciation paragraph. Like Meg White, he is a drummer that plays to the song, and can spice it up whenever necessary. He has been absolutely essential to the soul thumping tunes that are the white-hot output of The Black Keys. Taking up other percussion, he knows when to lay back and when to give it good. Luckily, this duo made in heaven dropped out of college just in time to deliver some rock hard rock hits.
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Then you have the collaborations. Candy and Her Friends has Lil Noid, something you might have never dreamed reading. That’s the bonus aspect of being a duo, you can add a select number of superstars and have a result that is spectacularly different. It is an awesome way to change the ingredients and still bring something that delights. Burger at a Michelin Star restaurant level stuff, and it just keeps getting better.
When I heard the riff for Loser by Beck, I wondered what it would sound like if he played with The Black Keys. Thanks to technology and general creepiness, the band seems to have made it happen. Paper Crown has Beck and Juicy J for one of the most killer songs of the album. As soon as Beck enters the game, the song turns to his character because of the way he chooses melodies. I’ll be singing Paper Crown for weeks now, and they aren’t to blame. They’re just to know that good time rock and roll has a place in an obsolete indie music critic’s heart.
The softer songs like Fever Tree remind you of the time they recorded that absolute gem Little Black Submarine. As Dan’s roots are so uniquely purist, he makes sure that he pays ode to them somehow in his music. The riffs are simple, creative and yet there is a way that it sounds refreshing. Ohio Players is a glorious return from a band that has had their fair share of ups and downs in the game.
For a double album, they have stocked it full of bluesy, pop rock and radio friendly hits. As if anyone listens to the radio anymore. They have always been a band that pursues that live sound feverishly, and it hasn’t changed since their debut in 2002. One of the few rock bands that can play at a party and seamlessly blend in. Listen to their swinging album here, and welcome The Black Keys back to the fold they never left.
Self professed metalhead, moderately well read. If the music has soul, it's whole to me. The fact that my bio could have ended on a rhyme and doesn't should tell you a lot about my personality.
