The Black Keys: Dropout Boogie Review

The Black Keys’ latest album release, Dropout Boogie, spans music genres and the stylistic realms of time yet, features highly recognizable influences. This album is released at the double-decade marker of the Keys’ initial album release, and hardly has a track to sleep on; however, organic originality is subject to question.

Delta Kream, the most recent album predecessor to Dropout Boogie, is denoted as a blues cover album, one in which Dan Auerbach (guitar, keys & vocals) and Patrick Carney (drums) seemingly revisit their musical roots after a twenty year career of popularity and sold out arenas. Dropout Boogie presents a glammed-up musical spin-off of hill country blues, with repetitive riffs and percussion patterns, cultivating the hypno-blues “sound”.

This album pairs perfectly with a spur of the moment westward midnight-mission on a warm summer night with a convertible top to let down. Though not nearly long enough to accompany a full-length road trip (the 11-track album clocks in a mere 34 minutes in total) it’s definitely one to enjoy along the journey.

Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top) sits in on this album, administering his talents as co-writer and lead guitarist for “Good Love”. Aside from Gibbons’ recognition, the Black Keys certainly show their influences throughout the songs within this album. For every track on this album, lies a similar sound of two or more other artists, or groups before its time.

Sharp ears from fans have noted similarities in style within the tracks, but many of the songs seem to contain the inverse meaning of the lyrics of the original recognizable song. Track nine, “Baby I’m Coming Home,” begins just as that of the Allman Brothers Band’s “Midnight Rider,” quickly going into a familiar sound from the Beatles, however, the lyrics of “Baby I’m Coming Home,” seem to be the inverse of the ABB’s original lyrics, a common occurrence throughout this album. Funny how the Black Keys’ previous album yields itself to be a cover album, though Dropout Boogie, seems to take the credit in that regard.

Creative originality aside, Dropout Boogie, is a “diggable” and listen-worthy album. However, it knocks heavily at the door of others.

The Review: 7/10

Can’t Miss Tracks

– Love of Money
– How Long
– Good Love
– Happiness
– Wild Child

The Big Hit

– Wild Child

Buy the album: Amazon