Album Review: The Black Keys, Ohio Players

14 years after the career-defining release of Brothers, The Black Keys have yet to ease up on the gas, dropping a string of albums tied together by a ribbon of dependability. Now, they're pushing the boundaries of their familiar blues-based rock, without losing the essence of the sound that shot them to stardom – as The Black Keys return with a new 14-track LP, this time calling on a host of famous friends to keep things interesting.

Named after the Dayton-based funk band from the duo’s American birth state, Ohio Players is The Black Keys’ most collaborative album yet, incorporating the expertise of everyone from classic-rock stars to indie-rap visionaries, including Noel Ghallager, Greg Kurstin, Beck and Dan “The Automator” Nakamura.

Opening with high-flyer ‘This Is Nowhere,’ the pair immediately hit listeners with a summer-ready banger – and maintain a '90s inspired Rust Belt groove as they shift into the previously released single ‘Beautiful People (Stay High)'. ‘On the Game,’ a melancholic blast of Brit-pop nostalgia, features Noel Gallagher on backing vocals, with a ripping mid-song guitar solo.

Elsewhere, ‘Paper Crown’ features vocals from Beck before tumbling into the depths of hip-hop with a guest rap verse from Three Six Mafia legend Juicy J – a captivating crossover between the stylistically contrasting yet thematically similar worlds of rock and hip-hop.

8/10

Ohio Players is out now.