Album "Ohio Players"

The Black Keys rely on star guest power

Brothers In Crime: Nothing can separate Patrick Carney and Dan Auerbach when it comes to their Black Keys.(Bild: Warner Music, Larry Niehues, Krone KREATIV)

Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney are friends from Akron, Ohio - and long-time partners in the blues rock duo The Black Keys. The title of their new studio album pays homage to their roots in the Midwest: "Ohio Players" is the name of the record, based on the 70s funk band of the same name. The band once formed in Dayton, around three hours' drive from the city where Auerbach and Carney would later launch their careers.

This time, the six-time Grammy winners looked to other artists for inspiration, not only for the title but also musically. Songwriting greats such as Beck and Noel Gallagher, producers Dan The Automator and Greg Kurstin and rappers Juicy J and Lil Noid were among those involved. There are also other supporters and accompanying musicians.

Reinforcement from the Oasis front
"We had this epiphany: 'We can call our friends to help us make music!' Which is a bit funny, because it's actually nothing unusual for us to write songs with other people - Dan all the time anyway, me when I'm producing a record," says Carney, according to the statement. So many of the songs grew together in sessions with the guests. The songs with Noel Gallagher - "On The Game", "Only Love Matters" and "You'll Pay" - were each recorded in one piece as a team performance.

The results of the sessions are diverse: influences from funk, soul and pop mix with dirty rock on "Ohio Players". "We weren't afraid to have fun," says Auerbach, "and indulge in everything we've always loved." A particularly large part of the album's groove can be attributed to Beck, for whom the duo opened shows in 2003. As a songwriter, Beck worked on seven of the 14 tracks, in addition to vocal and instrumental contributions. Both the opener "This Is Nowhere" and the closing track "Everytime You Leave" were written with his involvement.

More polished and tidier
Recorded in a handful of studios in California, Nashville and London, "Ohio Players" sounds more pleasing and a little more polished all round than its creaky blues predecessor "Dropout Boogie" (2022). Despite all the contributions from friends, the Black Keys also bring tried and tested elements back to the record: Auerbach's distinctive voice and Carney's booming drums still come across as effortless and playful even after more than 20 years of band history.

Friendships in the music business are not necessarily long-lasting. The Black Keys hold their own: The buddies from Ohio have now written four albums together in five years, following a creative break from 2014 to 2019. "Our relationship is closer than ever," emphasizes Auerbach. Just recently, their band partnership even made it onto the big screen. The documentary "This Is A Film About The Black Keys" premiered in Texas at the SXSW Film Festival in March.