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Ohio Players (album)

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Ohio Players
A black and white photograph of a bowling alley, with a hand holding a blue bowling ball with the band's name on it in the top-left.
Studio album by
the Black Keys
ReleasedApril 5, 2024 (2024-04-05)
StudioEasy Eye Sound (Nashville)
GenreGarage rock, blues rock
Length44:04
Label
Producer
The Black Keys chronology
Dropout Boogie
(2022) 		Ohio Players
(2024)
Singles from Ohio Players
  1. "Beautiful People (Stay High)"
    Released: January 12, 2024
  2. "I Forgot to Be Your Lover"
    Released: February 9, 2024
  3. "This Is Nowhere"
    Released: March 8, 2024

Ohio Players is the twelfth studio album by American rock duo the Black Keys. It was released on April 5, 2024, by Easy Eye Sound and Nonesuch Records.[1][2] It was preceded by lead single "Beautiful People (Stay High)" on January 12, 2024,[3][4][5] and the second single "I Forgot to Be Your Lover", a cover of William Bell's 1968 song of the same title.[6] "Beautiful People (Stay High)" received nominations for Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards.[7]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic76/100[8]
Review scores
SourceRating
The Guardian[9]
NME[10]
Pitchfork7.2/10[11]
Rolling Stone[12]
Slant Magazine[13]

The album currently has a Metacritic score of 76, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[8] Rolling Stone stated the presence of guest musicians such as Beck and Noel Gallagher made Ohio Players "one of their best LPs".[12] Several reviews positively noted the Black Keys' ability to reinvent their sound while remaining in touch with their garage rock and blues roots.[14][15] A positive review from Pitchfork called the album "lively, fresh and colorful."[11] A mixed review from Slant Magazine felt the guest musicians caused The Black Keys to be lost in their own album, and criticized the song "Beautiful People (Stay High)" for sounding as if it was AI generated and trying hard to appeal to "lifestyle brands".[13] A mixed review from The Guardian called the album an "underwhelming diffusion of the band's once heady magic."[9] NME in comparison found the album to be too familiar, and stated the album showed how "The Black Keys might have a killer record collection but Ohio Players is the work of a band who are perhaps too good at being themselves."[10]

Following the album's release marking the first Black Keys album not to crack the Billboard Top 20 in 18 years and the sudden cancelation of the band's North American tour, Pitchfork contributor Stephen Thomas Erlewine restated his positive view of the album from his prior review but noted 2024 marked a year where a shift in cultural tastes had seemed to abandon the Black Keys.[16] Erlewine reiterated his positive opinion on the band's attempt to reinvent their sound on Ohio Players.

Track listing

[edit]
Ohio Players track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."This Is Nowhere"
3:45
2."Don't Let Me Go"
2:35
3."Beautiful People (Stay High)"
  • Auerbach
  • Carney
  • Hansen
  • Richard Mead
  • Nakamura
2:47
4."On the Game"
4:03
5."Only Love Matters"
  • Auerbach
  • Carney
  • Gallagher
  • Michels
3:23
6."Candy and Her Friends" (featuring Lil Noid)
  • Auerbach
  • Carney
3:25
7."I Forgot to Be Your Lover"
2:28
8."Please Me (Till I'm Satisfied)"
  • Auerbach
  • Carney
  • Greg Cartwright
2:45
9."You'll Pay"
  • Auerbach
  • Carney
  • Gallagher
  • Michels
2:45
10."Paper Crown" (featuring Beck and Juicy J)
  • Auerbach
  • Carney
  • Hansen
  • Houston III
4:18
11."Live Till I Die"
  • Auerbach
  • Carney
  • Hansen
2:24
12."Read Em and Weep"
  • Auerbach
  • Carney
  • Cartwright
3:23
13."Fever Tree"
  • Auerbach
  • Carney
  • Hansen
3:05
14."Every Time You Leave"
2:58
Total length:44:04

Note

  • "I Forgot to Be Your Lover" is a cover of the song of the same name, written by William Bell and Booker T. Jones and performed by Bell.

Personnel

[edit]

The Black Keys

Additional musicians

  • Andy Gabbard – backing vocals (tracks 1–6, 8, 10, 13), electric guitar (13)
  • Beck – backing vocals (tracks 1–3, 11, 13), celeste keyboards (3), organ (10, 12), electric guitar (10), synthesizer (12), acoustic guitar (13)
  • Sam Bacco – shaker (tracks 1–3, 7, 9–11, 13), tambourine (1, 2, 5–7, 9, 10, 13), cowbell (1, 2, 8, 11, 13), cymbals (1, 7, 8), congas (2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 11), additional percussion (2, 9), bongo drums (3, 9), bells (3), woodblock (5), chimes (6), wind chimes (7, 13), gongs (13)
  • Tom Bukovac – electric guitar (tracks 1–6, 8, 9, 11, 14), acoustic guitar (2)
  • Ray Jacildo – piano (tracks 1–3, 5, 11), Hammond organ (1, 2); glockenspiel, Moog, organ, vibraphone, Wurlitzer organ (2); Wurlitzer piano (3), harpsichord (6)
  • Mike Rojas – piano (tracks 1, 3–5, 7, 9, 11); Mellotron, Moog (1); strings (2); vibraphone, Wurlitzer (9)
  • Jake Botts – baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone (tracks 2, 3)
  • Ray Mason – trombone (tracks 2, 3), trumpet (2)
  • Ashley Wilcoxson – backing vocals (tracks 3–5, 10, 11, 13, 14)
  • Leisa Hans – backing vocals (tracks 3–5, 10, 11, 13, 14)
  • Zach Gabbard – backing vocals (tracks 3, 8, 12), claps (3)
  • Chris St. Hilaire – claps (track 3), backing vocals (8, 12)
  • Dan the Automator – samples (track 3)
  • Noel Gallagher – backing vocals (tracks 4, 5, 9), electric guitar (4)
  • Leon Michels – electric guitar (tracks 4, 5, 9), organ (4, 5, 12); baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone (5, 9, 12); glockenspiel, Mellotron (5); Hammond organ, marimba, piano (9)
  • Trey Keller – backing vocals (track 5)
  • Angelo Petraglia – electric guitar (track 6)
  • Kelly Finnegan – backing vocals, Hammond organ (track 7)
  • Tommy Brenneck – baritone guitar, electric guitar (track 7)
  • Matt Combs – strings (track 7)
  • Aaron Frazer – backing vocals (track 10)
  • Greg Kurstin – backing vocals, electric guitar, keyboards, percussion, synthesizer (track 14)

Technical

  • Dan the Automator – production (tracks 2, 3)
  • Greg Kurstin – production (track 14)
  • Howie Weinberg – mastering
  • Will Borza – mastering
  • Mark "Spike" Stent – mixing
  • M. Allen Parker – engineering
  • Liam Watson – engineering (tracks 4, 5, 9)
  • Greg Kurstin – engineering (track 14)
  • Julian Burg – engineering (track 14)
  • Matt Tuggle – engineering (track 14)
  • Caleb VanBuskirk – additional engineering
  • Trey Keller – additional engineering (tracks 4, 5, 9)
  • Michael Foster – additional engineering (track 10)
  • Matt Wolach – mixing assistance
  • Jonny Ullman – engineering assistance
  • McKinley James – engineering assistance
  • Andy Petr – engineering assistance (tracks 1, 5, 7, 12, 14)
  • Franky Fox – engineering assistance (tracks 1, 5, 7, 12, 14)
  • Travis Pavur – engineering assistance (tracks 1, 5, 7, 12, 14)
  • Tyler Zwiep – engineering assistance (tracks 1, 5, 7, 12, 14)

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for Ohio Players
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[17] 68
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[18] 5
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[19] 13
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[20] 11
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[21] 35
Croatian International Albums (HDU)[22] 3
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[23] 10
French Albums (SNEP)[24] 15
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[25] 3
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[26] 9
Irish Albums (OCC)[27] 43
Italian Albums (FIMI)[28] 45
Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[29] 95
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[30] 18
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[31] 74
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[32] 21
Scottish Albums (OCC)[33] 6
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[34] 23
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[35] 2
UK Albums (OCC)[36] 13
US Billboard 200[37] 26
US Top Rock & Alternative Albums (Billboard)[38] 7

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Kreps, Daniel (January 12, 2024). "The Black Keys Preview New Album Ohio Players With First Single 'Beautiful People (Stay High)'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  2. ^ "Ohio Players". The Black Keys. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  3. ^ Wilkes, Emma (January 8, 2024). "The Black Keys announce new single 'Beautiful People (Stay High)' with 'Lonely Boy' throwback video". NME. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  4. ^ "The Black Keys Announce Album, Share New Song "Beautiful People (Stay High)"". Pitchfork. January 12, 2024. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  5. ^ "The Black Keys Announce New Album Ohio Players Feat. Beck, Noel Gallagher, & More: Hear "Beautiful People"". Stereogum. January 12, 2024. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  6. ^ "Watch: The Black Keys Share "I Forgot To Be Your Lover" from 'Ohio Players'". Nonesuch. January 12, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  7. ^ Atkinson, Katie (November 8, 2024). "Grammy Nominations 2025: See the Complete List". Billboard. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Ohio Players by The Black Keys". Metacritic. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Aroesti, Rachel (April 5, 2024). "The Black Keys: Ohio Players review – a little soul, a little lush, less magic". The Guardian. Retrieved April 5, 2024. It's an all-bases approach that doesn't feel so much like an identity crisis as a slightly underwhelming diffusion of the band's once heady magic.
  10. ^ a b Baines, Huw (April 4, 2024). "The Black Keys – Ohio Players review: familiar rock bangers with help from Noel Gallagher and Beck". NME. Retrieved April 5, 2024. The Black Keys might have a killer record collection but Ohio Players is the work of a band who are perhaps too good at being themselves.
  11. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen (April 5, 2024). "Ohio Players". pitchfork.com. Pitchfork. Retrieved April 5, 2024. Even the presence of rappers Lil Noid and Juicy J on "Candy and Her Friends" and "Paper Crown" recalls Blakroc, the duo's 2009 excursion into rap-rock, yet the fact that Black Keys have explicitly carved space for hip-hop on Ohio Players goes a long way in explaining why the album doesn't feel like a retread. Instead of siloing their interests, the group synthesizes them, making a record that feels lively, fresh, and colorful.
  12. ^ a b Dolan, Jon (March 30, 2024). "Black Keys Strike Mellow Gold on Ohio Players". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 2, 2024. Pals like Beck and Noel Gallagher help the garage-rock duo make one of their best LPs
  13. ^ a b Winograd, Jeremy (April 1, 2025). "The Black Keys Ohio Players Review: A Crowded House". Slant Magazine. Retrieved April 2, 2024. A couple of tracks even sound A.I.-generated, none more so than the shockingly cynical 'Beautiful People (Stay High),' which feels like an attempt to reverse engineer the brief era when the music in every car commercial either ripped off or actually was a song from Brothers or El Camino.
  14. ^ Gallucci, Michael (April 2, 2024). "The Black Keys, Ohio Players: Album Review". ultimateclassicrock.com. Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  15. ^ Horowitz, Hal (March 28, 2024). "Review: The Black Keys Ohio Players". rockandbluesmuse.com. Rock & Blues Muse. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  16. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (June 7, 2024). "The Black Keys: Rock's Lonely Boys". So It Goes. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  17. ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 15 April 2024". The ARIA Report. No. 1780. Australian Recording Industry Association. April 15, 2024. p. 6.
  18. ^ "Austriancharts.at – The Black Keys – Ohio Players" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
  19. ^ "Ultratop.be – The Black Keys – Ohio Players" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  20. ^ "Ultratop.be – The Black Keys – Ohio Players" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  21. ^ "The Black Keys Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
  22. ^ "Lista prodaje 16. tjedan 2024" (in Croatian). HDU. April 8, 2024. Archived from the original on April 24, 2024. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  23. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – The Black Keys – Ohio Players" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  24. ^ "Top Albums (Week 15, 2024)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
  25. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – The Black Keys – Ohio Players" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  26. ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2024. 15. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
  27. ^ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  28. ^ "Album – Classifica settimanale WK 15 (dal 05.04.2024 al 11.04.2024)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  29. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums – Week of April 10, 2024". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  30. ^ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. April 15, 2024. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  31. ^ "OLiS - oficjalna lista sprzedaży - albumy" (in Polish). OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Note: Change the date to 05.04.2024–11.04.2024 under "zmień zakres od–do:". Retrieved April 18, 2024.
  32. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – The Black Keys – Ohio Players". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  33. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  34. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – The Black Keys – Ohio Players". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  35. ^ "Swisscharts.com – The Black Keys – Ohio Players". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  36. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  37. ^ "The Black Keys Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
  38. ^ "The Black Keys Chart History: Top Rock & Alternative Albums". Billboard. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
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