The Black Keys have long been major pioneers of modern rock, with their unique blend of blues, garage, and alternative sounds. They have long proven themselves to be masters of modern retro, and eleven albums in, they continue to be the cream of the crop. Their newest release, Dropout Boogie, is everything you’ve always loved about The Black Keys while still feeling fresh and new.
Since its release, I’ve listened to Dropout Boogie nearly every day. I’ve found that the more I’ve listened, the more I’ve loved it. It’s a brilliantly cohesive record. No two songs are sonically the same, but they go together nonetheless. This is one of those records that is best listened to in its entirety. Keeping with that energy, I’m going to take you on a tour of the album, track-by-track, as it deserves to be listened to and described.
Right off the bat this record opens strong with “Wild Child.” With a blend of Prince-esque guitar, disco vibes, and garage rock, The Black Keys may very well have created the rock song of the summer. I keep going back to this track. It’s one that demands to be listened to at full volume; it’s catchy and just fun to listen to. It’s perfectly placed on the record too; the album couldn’t have started any other way.
Shifting gears, “It Ain’t Over” still maintains that retro sound, but in a different style. Distorted lead vocals and choral background vocals make this track especially sonically interesting. I say this about too many things I review, but elements of this track remind me of early Electric Light Orchestra, particularly in the lead vocals on the chorus, which I find are reminiscent of “Showdown.” It’s a strong track with some seriously kickass vocals. Dan Auerbach never disappoints on that front.
Of all the tracks on Dropout Boogie, “For the Love of Money” reminds me the most of what I’ve personally come to know The Black Keys for, their deep-seeded blues influences. “For the Love of Money” is a futuristic blues groove with particularly apropos lyrics for today’s world. Telling this story in a blues style is genius, and it’s one of this record’s biggest highlights.
My first thought the first time I heard “Your Team is Looking Good” was about how good this song would sound in a stadium, with thousands of fans stomping and screaming the chorus back at the band. Listening to it again for quite possibly the 20th time just this week, I still feel the same. Your Team is Looking Good gives stadium anthem in the best way. It drives, it rocks, and I think it’s going to be a fan favorite once The Black Keys get back out on the road with it.
ZZ Top meets The Black Keys: something I never knew I needed, but I’m so glad 2022 has blessed us with. I won’t mince words here, “Good Love” is sexy. The juxtaposition of a grungy, nasty, sexy sonic sound with arguably melancholy lyrics is something that makes this track really stand out from the rest. It’s easy to feel sad when you think about what the song is really about, but letting that groove wash over makes the message all the easier (and more fun) to digest.
Every record benefits from a slow-down, cool-down about halfway through, and being the brilliant musicians and producers they are, The Black Keys know this and dropped “How Long” into the mix. Mellow as it sounds, it’s a song of strength, with the lead character finally fighting for themselves from a partner who treats them wrong. This track reminds you that The Black Keys are jacks of all trades; ballads, hill country blues, hard driving rock, they can do it all.
After many, many listens to Dropout Boogie in its entirety, I found myself consistently going back to this one, and I’ll safely dub it as my favorite track from the record. “Burn the Damn Thing Down” is a comradery-fueled grungy anthem, and it’s my favorite kind of earworm, one I don’t actually want to get out of my head. The loud, distorted guitar that drives the track is incredibly sonically satisfying and makes me want to listen on repeat.
“Happiness” may very well be the most brilliant track on the record. Something I love about rock music in general is how tracks with positive, encouraging messages are executed without feeling cheesy or cliché. At face value, Happiness is a blue-tinged garage rock jam, but just one listen through while paying attention to the lyrics and you realize how deep and necessary the message is for the listener to hear. Everyone could benefit for taking a minute with these lyrics and letting them sink in.
One thing about classic rock that isn’t present often in modern music is a song structure resulting in a separate section that differs sonically from the rest of the track (think the piano portion of “Layla”), and “Baby I’m Coming Home” executes that perfectly in a modern package. It’s so satisfying to hear the track shift into the faster-tempoed jam section, and right back into that grungy, distorted guitar riff that functions as the key piece of the track. This is a jammy, funky track, and it’s one of my favorite listens.
Dropout Boogie wraps up its just 34-minute duration with a complicated question about love in “Didn’t I Love You.” This is another of those Black Keys tracks you know and love that embrace the bluesy guitar jam, making the guitar the star of the track. The track is tight, but it’s laidback and easy-going, a pleasant listen despite the conflicting subject matter. The beauty of the track almost makes you side with the lead character as he argues that despite his wrongdoings and pain he caused, didn’t he love her?
Dropout Boogie is nothing short of a musical masterpiece. The more you listen, the more you’ll find to love. The year may still be young, but Dropout Boogie has already made it onto my top albums of the year list. Give it a stream, or better yet, grab it on vinyl and give it the true retro treatment, and try to tell me it doesn’t deserve every compliment I’ve given.