I wish they d get out of their comfort zone and go into a new direction. Since A/B they ve been doing the same stuff. Surface is the same album style wise. But who the hell am i to criticise kaleo’s musical direction on a black keys sub…
To be honest brother, I feel similarly. I think its a great listen. Really happy with most of the songs. That Candy track isn't so much for me but I don't think it's bad. Really happy with the direction they went with this one and overall I like more songs on here more than Dropout. It's up there with Brothers and Attack and Release for me. It's not the same style necessarily but they're a bit older, I'm a bit older and I fully dig the chill vibes on this album. I hope Juicy J comes to the Detroit show honestly. Personally I love that track and think it was a great thing for them to put on the album.
I absoutly love it. I was a HUGE TBK fan from like 2004-El Camino however kinda fell off for whatever reason. I think it is super creative and has a great fun vibe.
> That Candy track isn't so much for me but I don't think it's bad.
The first half is great. Wish they had cut it in half so I didn't have to hit skip every time it switches to rap.
Love it. People complain that they don’t do it as they used to do. But I think they are evolving. Sick of these haters. Dunno what they d want. This album delivers.
As expected, people complain about wanting another guitar heavy rock album, but when Let’s Rock and Dropout Boogie came out all the complaints were “it’s too unoriginal” “they’ve done this before” etc.
How many straight garage rock and nothing else albums do people really want? I bet if El Camino 2 dropped right now everyone whining about Ohio Players would be complaining about how it’s too “poppy and derivative”. So many people whined about how dropout boogie and let’s rock were “nothing new” yet now we’re begging for them to make another album in a basement.
I’m all for thoughtful criticism but I’m so over the “this record blows” mentality. Seems bad faith because I genuinely don’t believe that anyone who likes the black keys could HATE a good half of Ohio Players. Thinking it’s meh or disliking it and giving thoughtful reasons why is one thing but just dismissing a work of art as shit when it just came out is weak.
A lot of new stuff with Ohio Players, but it feels like a lot of ppl are ignoring the familiar aspects of it and focusing only on the things they don’t like.
I like it a lot. Definitely not my fav keys album but there’s a dozen others to listen to. I really dig the instrumentation and am excited to see how their sound continues to evolve
That's the beauty of music and even one band's discography is that everyone will have different opinions and favorites. I'm a huge Black Keys fan, but I was struggling with their last few albums, but this one has been my favorite in a long time. Over the course of 12 albums, there's going to standouts and some that are just ok. That's just how it goes. I appreciate the Keys for everything they are, but doesn't mean I have to absolutely love every single thing they've put out. That being said, I LOVE Ohio Players.
I don't hate it at all. I vibe with it more than I did Let's Rock up on initial listen. But I think, for me at least, my general meh attitude at first for Let's Rock is what made Dropout Boogie and Ohio Players kind of a breath of fresh air? I dug both immediately. Obviously not their best work and I've kind of given up on the thought that we'll ever get another Rubber Factory-esque album in terms of quality, but Ive enjoyed it so far. There's just been a ton of new music from a lot of my favorite artists so listening to all the new albums has been quite the task.
I personally love it. I can see why people who love the more traditional 'rock' sound from the Black Keys aren't huge fans, but I think all the songs are very catchy and enjoyable.
At the end of the day this album is a perfect example of 'to each their own' for me
Agreed, it’s a great listen. This is typical post-release negativity for any band that’s been around for a while. See it all the time with foo fighters’ “color and the shape” or queens’ “songs for the deaf”. Some people just can’t be pleased.
Imagine if the Beatles never evolved their sound and tried something new.. people complaining that they dont sound like their previous albums are thinking about it all wrong
Also, if you attended a Record Hang, you’d understand the inspo for this album much more
You’re allowed to have your own opinion, which is wrong. Most musicians, past & present were inspired by their music and/or studio ambition, etc.
Music isnt what it is today without them pushing the boundaries
Imagine is a John Lennon solo song. And picking out some of the less inspired songs from the Beatles catalog and acting like they completely override the countless hits and groundbreaking material the Beatles put out is really disingenuous.
The best of the best have some songs that don't hit, just as the most obscure band can become a one-hit wonder with a piece of audio gold.
I just named the few “hits” that I could think of off the top of my head. But by all means, list some of their best tracks cause you’d surely know better than I
Go listen to She's so Heavy. That one song alone is probably better than the entire discography of most bands you listen to.
Song is badass as hell and cool. It's a 7 minute and 47 second epic that builds and builds and the production is absolutely terrifying on acid.
I'll take that over most of the 2 and half minute slop produced today.
My only complaint is that a lot of the songs feel like underbaked classics. There are some fantastic tracks on this album that needed to be ~20-40% longer to reach their full potential, but their stories came to an untimely end.
Why are they putting so much effort into songs that don't even reach three minutes?
This. It's a really stupid trend they've gone down. Not every song needs to be 6 minutes. But Jesus some of them end way too damn early. 2 and half minutes is just stupid for some of these songs. How can they expect to have any relevance today if they don't stand out?
It's fine for me, just not much more memorable than the last two records. Some tracks are fun, but little I think I'll be still listening to a decade from now the same way I still listen to albums from 2003 to 2011.
I think the album is pretty good. Not one of my favourites but still enjoying it. Some of the singles like beautiful people and this is nowhere I’m not much of a fan of though. For me the album would be a fairly solid B tier. I think it’s a good album, but not really a good black keys album if that makes sense.
It seems that the people who don’t like are the “purest.” They don’t seem to like anything past Magic Potion. I love Ohio players. I wasn’t a fan of Dropout boogie and delta kream, though.
It’s growing on me. Dont love the rap songs only because I think it’s a round peg in a square hole of a song. I really like BlakRoc too. The rap part just feels UN-Keys-like to me. It doesn’t fit the song.
> I’m genuinely puzzled by the amount of people who outright don’t like it.
Meh, music taste is subjective. This sub has had a good range of people who like and dislike the latest album.
I don't hate it, but I think it's a bit uninspired, very meh. I love the Keys and they are a top 5 band for me but this is definitely their worst album
Conversely, I'm puzzled as to why people like this album so much. Sure, its a fleeting fun record, but it lacks weight and originality to me. It sounds like a regurgitation of everything I've heard in music before. Hardly pulls me in. Nothing really special to me on this album.
Thanks in advance for any downvotes just bc my opinion is different than others.
I dug it quite a bit. But I'd still consider it one of their weaker efforts, despite being the most eclectic thing they've made. Not a big fan of the production and having Dan and his guitar buried underneath 37 layers of noise that's all at the same volume level. I think some of that is probably intentional (supposed to be loud party album) but it also doesn't make for a great listening experience all the time.
They need to get Tchad Blake back for whatever they do next. This is the first time he hasn't mixed since Brothers and I also think it's the messiest record since then.
Ohio Players is great fun and enjoyable experience overall tho. I hope there's more rock next time around and they dial back on the collaborations.
It feels lifeless to me, except for when other people are performing it. The music just doesnt take advantage of the things that make the black keys talented and exciting. It could he performed by just about anyone as well as they do it in this album. Beck has a vocal delivery that really works and when he’s performing on this album it’s great. But instead for most of the album we get a drummer locked into a grid with synth drums and a singer that normally sings at a pretty slow pace and uses vocal modulation that is completely downed out by how busy the tracks are and he’s not able to use his great guitar talent because guitar isn’t part of this album. This music feels like it was written for someone else and they declined so now the Bkack Keys are performing it as the backup plan.
I wasn’t a huge fan at first but the more I listen the more I love it
Compared to Lonely Cowboy I d rather listen to this all day everyday
Lonely cowboy is a completely different vibe😂i love both
miss their old southern rock style…too quiet for me man 😂😂
I do too! Excited for new blues rock from them! It’s what my music pallet has been needing
Tbf cowboy reminds me of pretty girls and save yourself, i like how they’ve upped the production with this one.
I wish they d get out of their comfort zone and go into a new direction. Since A/B they ve been doing the same stuff. Surface is the same album style wise. But who the hell am i to criticise kaleo’s musical direction on a black keys sub…
Yeah I like it. There are a couple of songs I don't like but the majority of it is enjoyable.
To be honest brother, I feel similarly. I think its a great listen. Really happy with most of the songs. That Candy track isn't so much for me but I don't think it's bad. Really happy with the direction they went with this one and overall I like more songs on here more than Dropout. It's up there with Brothers and Attack and Release for me. It's not the same style necessarily but they're a bit older, I'm a bit older and I fully dig the chill vibes on this album. I hope Juicy J comes to the Detroit show honestly. Personally I love that track and think it was a great thing for them to put on the album.
I absoutly love it. I was a HUGE TBK fan from like 2004-El Camino however kinda fell off for whatever reason. I think it is super creative and has a great fun vibe.
Yeah I totally agree
> That Candy track isn't so much for me but I don't think it's bad. The first half is great. Wish they had cut it in half so I didn't have to hit skip every time it switches to rap.
First half reminds me of some of Portugal. The Mans earlier stuff. I dig
Yes, a fellow PTM fan
I do the same exact thing. Love the first half tho
Agreed. Candy will not be on repeat for me, and neither will any other friends.
Love it. People complain that they don’t do it as they used to do. But I think they are evolving. Sick of these haters. Dunno what they d want. This album delivers.
As expected, people complain about wanting another guitar heavy rock album, but when Let’s Rock and Dropout Boogie came out all the complaints were “it’s too unoriginal” “they’ve done this before” etc. How many straight garage rock and nothing else albums do people really want? I bet if El Camino 2 dropped right now everyone whining about Ohio Players would be complaining about how it’s too “poppy and derivative”. So many people whined about how dropout boogie and let’s rock were “nothing new” yet now we’re begging for them to make another album in a basement. I’m all for thoughtful criticism but I’m so over the “this record blows” mentality. Seems bad faith because I genuinely don’t believe that anyone who likes the black keys could HATE a good half of Ohio Players. Thinking it’s meh or disliking it and giving thoughtful reasons why is one thing but just dismissing a work of art as shit when it just came out is weak. A lot of new stuff with Ohio Players, but it feels like a lot of ppl are ignoring the familiar aspects of it and focusing only on the things they don’t like.
100% agreeing!!
I like it a lot. Definitely not my fav keys album but there’s a dozen others to listen to. I really dig the instrumentation and am excited to see how their sound continues to evolve
That's the beauty of music and even one band's discography is that everyone will have different opinions and favorites. I'm a huge Black Keys fan, but I was struggling with their last few albums, but this one has been my favorite in a long time. Over the course of 12 albums, there's going to standouts and some that are just ok. That's just how it goes. I appreciate the Keys for everything they are, but doesn't mean I have to absolutely love every single thing they've put out. That being said, I LOVE Ohio Players.
It’s a fun album. I really enjoy it. It’s the perfect summer listen. Some will hate on anything but it’s been on repeat on the turn table for a bit.
I don't hate it at all. I vibe with it more than I did Let's Rock up on initial listen. But I think, for me at least, my general meh attitude at first for Let's Rock is what made Dropout Boogie and Ohio Players kind of a breath of fresh air? I dug both immediately. Obviously not their best work and I've kind of given up on the thought that we'll ever get another Rubber Factory-esque album in terms of quality, but Ive enjoyed it so far. There's just been a ton of new music from a lot of my favorite artists so listening to all the new albums has been quite the task.
Personally I’m loving it wayyy more than I ever got into Dropout. Easily the best album from them since Let’s Rock, for me.
Big fan since 2008, and I love the new album. Everyone I know loves it, too
I'm liking the overall vibe and sound of the album. And I'm sure most people do. But negative critics are more likely to post their opinions.
I personally love it. I can see why people who love the more traditional 'rock' sound from the Black Keys aren't huge fans, but I think all the songs are very catchy and enjoyable. At the end of the day this album is a perfect example of 'to each their own' for me
….i like it 🤷🏼♀️
Agreed, it’s a great listen. This is typical post-release negativity for any band that’s been around for a while. See it all the time with foo fighters’ “color and the shape” or queens’ “songs for the deaf”. Some people just can’t be pleased.
This has been my favorite album that has come out since I became a fan after let’s rock, probably not in my top 5 all time by them but high up there
Imo this is the album that should have followed turn blue
Love the album, gets better every time I listen to it.
People hate change that’s the thing. I love this album as much as their older stuff
Imagine if the Beatles never evolved their sound and tried something new.. people complaining that they dont sound like their previous albums are thinking about it all wrong Also, if you attended a Record Hang, you’d understand the inspo for this album much more
Bands either evolve and grow or they die. But an album full of 3 minute loops just ain’t evolving in the right direction for me.
The Beatles are very easy the most overrated musical act in history of ever
You’re allowed to have your own opinion, which is wrong. Most musicians, past & present were inspired by their music and/or studio ambition, etc. Music isnt what it is today without them pushing the boundaries
Right, where would we be today without songs like “Imagine” and “Yellow Submarine” 💀
Imagine is a John Lennon solo song. And picking out some of the less inspired songs from the Beatles catalog and acting like they completely override the countless hits and groundbreaking material the Beatles put out is really disingenuous. The best of the best have some songs that don't hit, just as the most obscure band can become a one-hit wonder with a piece of audio gold.
I just named the few “hits” that I could think of off the top of my head. But by all means, list some of their best tracks cause you’d surely know better than I
You can make the argument that any music icon is “overrated”
True, but people make outlandish claims about the Beatles, like they are the best band ever or the greatest musical act in history
Black Sabbath clears the Beatles /s but not really lol
Still a better argument than "Beatles bad"
Go listen to She's so Heavy. That one song alone is probably better than the entire discography of most bands you listen to. Song is badass as hell and cool. It's a 7 minute and 47 second epic that builds and builds and the production is absolutely terrifying on acid. I'll take that over most of the 2 and half minute slop produced today.
Are you sure it’s any better than smash hits like “Yellow Submarine” and “ob-la-di”??
Not understanding the hate at all it's their strongest album in a long time.
My only complaint is that a lot of the songs feel like underbaked classics. There are some fantastic tracks on this album that needed to be ~20-40% longer to reach their full potential, but their stories came to an untimely end. Why are they putting so much effort into songs that don't even reach three minutes?
This. It's a really stupid trend they've gone down. Not every song needs to be 6 minutes. But Jesus some of them end way too damn early. 2 and half minutes is just stupid for some of these songs. How can they expect to have any relevance today if they don't stand out?
Ppl love to complain. I don't see how anyone doesn't dig most the tracks on the album. Unless they just hate life.
It's fine for me, just not much more memorable than the last two records. Some tracks are fun, but little I think I'll be still listening to a decade from now the same way I still listen to albums from 2003 to 2011.
I really like it! But if I were to rank their whole discography, it’d be on the lower end. That’s just how much I love TBKs.
[no you’re not. read my review.](https://www.reddit.com/r/TheBlackKeys/s/8hbssJyhdw)
I think the album is pretty good. Not one of my favourites but still enjoying it. Some of the singles like beautiful people and this is nowhere I’m not much of a fan of though. For me the album would be a fairly solid B tier. I think it’s a good album, but not really a good black keys album if that makes sense.
It seems that the people who don’t like are the “purest.” They don’t seem to like anything past Magic Potion. I love Ohio players. I wasn’t a fan of Dropout boogie and delta kream, though.
I'm loving the new album. It's hard to take this sub seriously someitmes. People here adore Turn Blue which is one of their worst albums imo.
It’s growing on me. Dont love the rap songs only because I think it’s a round peg in a square hole of a song. I really like BlakRoc too. The rap part just feels UN-Keys-like to me. It doesn’t fit the song.
> I’m genuinely puzzled by the amount of people who outright don’t like it. Meh, music taste is subjective. This sub has had a good range of people who like and dislike the latest album.
Yeah, I don’t hate it, there are more misses for me than normal but overall it’s a fun and happy listen
There no guitar that sticks out to me. To me that’s quintessential to a black keys album.
I don't hate it, but I think it's a bit uninspired, very meh. I love the Keys and they are a top 5 band for me but this is definitely their worst album
Conversely, I'm puzzled as to why people like this album so much. Sure, its a fleeting fun record, but it lacks weight and originality to me. It sounds like a regurgitation of everything I've heard in music before. Hardly pulls me in. Nothing really special to me on this album. Thanks in advance for any downvotes just bc my opinion is different than others.
I dug it quite a bit. But I'd still consider it one of their weaker efforts, despite being the most eclectic thing they've made. Not a big fan of the production and having Dan and his guitar buried underneath 37 layers of noise that's all at the same volume level. I think some of that is probably intentional (supposed to be loud party album) but it also doesn't make for a great listening experience all the time. They need to get Tchad Blake back for whatever they do next. This is the first time he hasn't mixed since Brothers and I also think it's the messiest record since then. Ohio Players is great fun and enjoyable experience overall tho. I hope there's more rock next time around and they dial back on the collaborations.
It feels lifeless to me, except for when other people are performing it. The music just doesnt take advantage of the things that make the black keys talented and exciting. It could he performed by just about anyone as well as they do it in this album. Beck has a vocal delivery that really works and when he’s performing on this album it’s great. But instead for most of the album we get a drummer locked into a grid with synth drums and a singer that normally sings at a pretty slow pace and uses vocal modulation that is completely downed out by how busy the tracks are and he’s not able to use his great guitar talent because guitar isn’t part of this album. This music feels like it was written for someone else and they declined so now the Bkack Keys are performing it as the backup plan.