Whereas at the beginning of the century they were still seen as indie stars, 20 or so years later The Black Keys became part of the mainstream pop establishment. Moreover, their success led to a certain estrangement from performing, requiring a break of more than 5 years to regain their senses.
Let's Rock (2019) was still called their comeback record, but the duo has crawled more and more toward
… soul, funk and Motown, and the garage rock sound has faded into the background. This can also be heard in their production work for others, such as on Hello, I'm Britti (2024) by singer Britti. The Black Keys are excellent at writing their own songs, but they still enlist the help of two familiar names for their 12th studio album, Ohio Players: Noel Gallagher co-wrote a number of songs, such as the beatlesesque On The Game, and on many others Beck can be found in the credits. Moreover, Beck and rapper Juicy J can also be heard on Paper Crown, which turns into a hip-hop number halfway through. While the songs may not all stick, Ohio Players is definitely a varied and entertaining record. (JV)more
