“Ohio Players”
The Black Keys release an album with many players
The blues rock duo The Black Keys got support from fellow musicians for their new record “Ohio Players”. photo
© Larry Niehues/Warner Music/dpa
Beck, Noel Gallagher and many more – the rock duo The Black Keys have teamed up with artist friends for a new album. “Ohio Players” ties the influences together harmoniously.
Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney are friends from Akron, Ohio – and long-time partner in the blues rock duo The Black Keys. The title of the new studio album is now a 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. It was once founded in Dayton, around three hours’ drive from the city where Auerbach and Carney would later start their careers.
This time, the six-time Grammy winners sought inspiration from other artists not only for the title, but also musically. Among others, songwriter greats such as Beck and Noel Gallagher, producers Dan The Automator and Greg Kurstin and rappers Juicy J and Lil Noid took part. There are also other supporters and accompanying musicians.
“We had this epiphany: ‘We can call our friends to help us make music!’ Which is a little funny, because actually it’s not unusual for us to write songs with other people – Dan all the time anyway, me “when I produce a record,” says Carney, according to the statement. 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 go as a team performance.
The results of the sessions are varied
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 as the opening act in 2003. As a songwriter, Beck now worked on seven of the 14 tracks, as well as stints as a vocalist and instrumentalist. Both the opener “This Is Nowhere” and the closing track “Everytime You Leave” were created with his participation.
Recorded in a handful of studios in California, Nashville and London, “Ohio Players” sounds more pleasing and all around a little more polished than its creaky blues predecessor “Dropout Boogie” (2022). Despite all the work from friends, the Black Keys also bring tried-and-tested elements to the record: Auerbach’s distinctive voice and Carney’s booming drums come across as effortless and fun to play, even after more than 20 years of band history.
Friendships in the music business aren’t necessarily considered long-lasting. The Black Keys are holding their own: The buddies from Ohio have now written four albums in five years together, after a creative break from 2014 to 2019. “Our relationship is closer than ever before,” emphasizes Auerbach. It was only recently that 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.