The Black Keys : Peaches!

I’m sure you’ve been sitting around waiting for your favorite corporate, Bud Light-sponsored blues rockers The Black Keys to drop a brand new by-the-books blues-infused record. Filled with competent Delta, Country, and boozy Midwest blues rock that will surely pepper your rock radio fumblings on the way to the next Coliseum gun and knife show.

It feels like we just went through a Black Keys album cycle, and that’s because we did. We were just gifted the plastic-y No Rain, No Flowers back in August of 2025, and now we have Peaches!. I’m sure you can guess what this sounds like, as it sounds just like the last three Black Keys albums. They’re interchangeable. If you don’t want to spend the money on Peaches!, then just listen to Dropout Boogie or Ohio Players. You can say you heard the new one then.

Am I a bit harsh on The Black Keys? Yes, I suppose I am. I guess because I know they can do better. They’re a good band, and have written and recorded good albums. Delta Kream from 2021 was a fantastic covers record. And the first few years of their career gave us loud, dirty blues albums that could raise the blood pressure. They’re fellow Midwest sons, and I rooted for them. But for the most part the last decade they’ve given us cookie cutter, generic blues rock.

Case in point, Peaches! opener “Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire”. It’s a stale country-ish boogie that is as authentic as Kings of Leon releasing a groove metal album. “Who’s Been Foolin’ You” tries to capture the spirit of the band’s heyday, but ends up sounding like a poor man’s ZZ Top. “Tomorrow Night” is enjoyable, but seems to be borrowing from a million places. Heard it before? Oh yeah.

Are The Black Keys redeemable? Sure, I think so. Auerbach and Carney are good musicians and have written some great albums, and maybe they can do it again. Unfortunately, Peaches! isn’t quite it.