Ohio Players (album) explained

Ohio Players
Type:	studio
Artist:	the Black Keys
Cover:	The Black Keys - Ohio Players.png
Alt:	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:	Easy Eye Sound (Nashville)
Genre:	Garage rock, blues rock
Length:	44:04
Label:	Easy Eye Sound Nonesuch
Producer:	The Black Keys Dan the Automator
Prev Title:	Dropout Boogie
Prev Year:	2022

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]

Critical reception

The album currently has a Metacritic score of 76, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.^[7] Rolling Stone stated the presence of guest musicians such as Beck and Noel Gallagher made Ohio Players "one of their best LPs".^[8] Several reviews positively noted the Black Keys' ability to reinvent their sound while remaining in touch with their garage rock and blues roots.^{[9] [10]} 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".^[12] A mixed review from The Guardian called the album an "underwhelming diffusion of the band's once heady magic."^[13] 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."^[14]

Track listing

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

The Black Keys

• Dan Auerbach – lead vocals, bass, electric guitar, production (all tracks); Moog (tracks 6, 8, 10); claps, drum machine (6, 10); Mellotron, shaker (6); Hammond organ (9), vocoder (10)
• Patrick Carney – claps, drum machine, drums, production (all tracks); electric guitar (tracks 1, 3, 4, 9, 14), tambourine (1, 5, 9, 12), Moog (1, 6, 9, 10, 13), Mellotron (2, 5), shaker (5, 9, 12), cowbell (5, 9), synthesizer (12)

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

Chart (2024)! scope="col"

Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[15]	68
Croatian International Albums (HDU)^[16]	3
Italian Albums (FIMI)^[17]	45
Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)^[18]	95
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)^[19]	18
US Top Rock & Alternative Albums (Billboard)^[20]	7

Notes and References

1. Kreps . Daniel . 2024-01-12 . The Black Keys Preview New Album Ohio Players With First Single 'Beautiful People (Stay High)' . 2024-01-12 . . en-US.
2. Web site: Ohio Players . 2024-01-12 . The Black Keys . en.
3. Web site: Wilkes . Emma . 2024-01-08 . The Black Keys announce new single 'Beautiful People (Stay High)' with 'Lonely Boy' throwback video . 2024-01-12 . . en-GB.
4. Web site: 2024-01-12 . The Black Keys Announce Album, Share New Song "Beautiful People (Stay High)" . 2024-01-12 . . en-US.
5. Web site: 2024-01-12 . The Black Keys Announce New Album Ohio Players Feat. Beck, Noel Gallagher, & More: Hear "Beautiful People" . 2024-01-12 . . en.
6. Web site: 2024-01-12 . Watch: The Black Keys Share "I Forgot To Be Your Lover" from 'Ohio Players' . 2024-02-20 . . en.
7. Web site: Ohio Players by The Black Keys . . April 2, 2024.
8. Black Keys Strike Mellow Gold on Ohio Players . Dolan . Jon . March 30, 2024 . . April 2, 2024 . Pals like Beck and Noel Gallagher help the garage-rock duo make one of their best LPs.
9. Web site: The Black Keys, Ohio Players: Album Review . Gallucci . Michael . April 2, 2024 . ultimateclassicrock.com . Ultimate Classic Rock . April 2, 2024.
10. Web site: Review: The Black Keys Ohio Players . Horowitz . Hal . March 28, 2024 . rockandbluesmuse.com . Rock & Blues Muse . April 2, 2024.
11. Web site: Ohio Players . Erlewine . Stephen . April 5, 2024 . pitchfork.com . Pitchfork Media . 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. The Black Keys Ohio Players Review: A Crowded House . Winograd . Jeremy . April 1, 2025 . . 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..
13. News: The Black Keys: Ohio Players review – a little soul, a little lush, less magic . Aroesti . Rachel . April 5, 2024 . . 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..
14. Web site: The Black Keys – Ohio Players review: familiar rock bangers with help from Noel Gallagher and Beck . Baines . Huw . April 4, 2024 . . 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..
15. The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 15 April 2024. The ARIA Report. Australian Recording Industry Association. 1780. 6. April 15, 2024.
16. Web site: Lista prodaje 16. tjedan 2024.. April 8, 2024. . hr. April 24, 2024. April 24, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240424162104/https://www.top-lista.hr/www/lista-prodaje-strano-16-tjedan-2024/. dead.
17. Web site: Album – Classifica settimanale WK 15 (dal 05.04.2024 al 11.04.2024). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. it. April 13, 2024.
18. Web site: Billboard Japan Hot Albums – Week of April 10, 2024. Billboard Japan. ja. April 10, 2024.
19. Web site: NZ Top 40 Albums Chart. Recorded Music NZ. April 15, 2024. April 12, 2024.
20. The Black Keys Chart History: Top Rock & Alternative Albums. Billboard. April 16, 2024.