GOING BACK TO THE BLUES FOR NEW INSPIRATION

THE BLACK KEYS Peaches! WARNER

- JON DOLAN

THE PAST COUPLE of Black Keys records have seen the Akron, Ohio, arena-garage blues-rock duo stretch out of their comfort zone a little. Their 2024 Ohio Players brought on collaborators like Beck, Dan the Automator, and Noel Gallagher. Last year's No Rain, No Flowers saw them work with A-list pop technicians such as Lana Del Rey producer Rick Nowels and hip-hop/R&B vet Scott Storch. But singer-guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney's 14th album leans into their back-to-basics side with a collection of tunes by other artists, inspired by these lifelong friends' shared journey as deep record nerds.