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By: Kate Tocke, Public Relations Director 

[Easy Eye Sound; 2024]

Rating : 6/10 

Key Tracks: “Beautiful People (Stay High)”, “Only Love Matters”, “I Forgot To Be Your Lover”

Ohio Players is the 12th studio album by the Ohio blues-rock duo, The Black Keys. These two are known for the heavy use of the fuzz petal and their funky rhythms. It is a well produced album as Dan Auerbach operates Easy Eye Sound, the band’s label, but it doesn’t stand out when the two have created masterpieces such as El Camino and Magic Potion. 

The energy that was put into this album is similar to what came from Dropout Boogie, their prior release in 2022. They release a great upbeat rock single that you would hear in a Ford commercial, but when you give the full album a listen, it is easy to get distracted and there are tracks that are easily forgettable. The Black Keys still know how to make a solid blues-rock song, but the consistency from earlier in their career just is not the same. They keep rock n’ roll alive and there is no doubt about that. As The Black Keys are one of my favorite bands, it’s hard to make better records than their earlier stuff when they are doing so much besides just making their own music.  

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One of the notable tracks is the first single they released prior to the full album drop. “Beautiful People (Stay High)” is a great upbeat rock song that features Patrick Carney’s classic and timely drum beats that stay clean throughout the entire song. Within the first listen you can’t help but slightly groove along. The Black Keys stick to a formula when it comes to their recent release because this single is similar to “Wild Child”, which was the single they released before they dropped Dropout Boogie. Wild Child is an upbeat and danceable song that has an addicting beat. Releasing that first banging single is a strategy these guys have down for sure. 

The second key listen would be the fifth track on the album, “Only Love Matters”. I kept my eye on this one because although it does stay to that same Black Keys formula with Auerbach’s easily recognizable vocals, it does stray onto some new sounds. It features some background vocals and has a breakdown during the bridge that spotlights the talent on the drums and guitar of course. Within the last few release from Pat and Dan, there has been a clear change in their sound. They don’t have a heavy fuzz pedal like they used to during their Thickfreakness era, and there is not as much of the soul and blues feel that you could hear in their 2006 Magic Potion. As someone who listens to those albums probably more than the average person, “Only Love Matters” is a different sound I enjoyed and will find myself revisiting because it is a fun sound.

My final notable listen is the second single that they released, “I Forgot To Be Your Lover”, which is actually a cover by William Bell. This was one track that stood out to me because The Black Keys aren’t usually ones to put a cover on their album, but I believe they served this song justice and did a great job covering it. 

Back in 2006, the two released a record titled Chulahoma. This was a great project by them as they covered well-known songs by Junior Kimbrough. This was monumental for the duo because it is clear that Kimbrough is one of the biggest influences to Pat and Dan. I see a similar theme in their William Bell cover, as this has influenced their sound as well. Overall, this song is important to the record and band as a whole because it reflects their influence and the root of their sound. 

Ohio Players was an enjoyable listen and I will find myself returning to some songs on the album, but as someone who has consumed a lot of The Black Keys’ music over time, this doesn’t compare to past projects. With that being said, I can’t help giving them a hand because they are still making listenable records after spending 20+ years together. The duo is expected to go on tour this upcoming spring and fall, both in the U.S and internationally, to debut this album. Check these guys out. 

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