After the Black Keys wrapped up Dropout Boogie, their forthcoming 11th record, something unlikely happened. “Dan [Auerbach] called me and said, ‘It’s really good,’ which is unusual for him,” says drummer Patrick Carney from his Nashville home. “I don’t think he’s ever called and said that. He doesn’t go back and listen to his stuff.” Auerbach agrees: “Pat’s always the one who says, after each record, ‘This is the best record we’ve ever done.’ Literally. Every single one. I listened to it again for the first time in a while and was pleasantly surprised. It brought a smile to my face.”
But as the Black Keys admit, that moment should have actually arrived three years ago. In 2019, after a hiatus that found the two men taking a break from each other to work on side projects, they reconvened for “Let’s Rock.” That album rekindled their alt-boogie…
