Dropout Boogie, Pam

I would consider myself a bit ignorant when it comes to the discography of the Black Keys. I'm only familiar with their big hits, and not because I listened to the albums, but because it seems impossible to live in the present and for those giants to have never touched your ears (I'm talking "Gold on the Ceiling," etc.). 

My familiarity with the Black Keys mainly comes from listening to a solo album from Dan Auerbach (Waiting on a Song) which, at one point, was on heavy rotation in my music world and is certainly enough to make me appreciate the talent and likability of at least one half of the band. 

As far as Dropout Boogie goes, they couldn't have picked a better song to start off the album. "Wild Child" sets the tone and is full of that likability that the Black Keys are so good at producing. Same goes for "It Ain't Over." There are no bad songs on the album. There's a definite lean toward bluesy rock songs ("For the Love of Money," "Burn the Damn Thing Down") that are not only effortlessly woven into the tapestry of the 34 minutes that is Dropout Boogie, but also standouts for some of the most fun songs on the album.

Sometimes when I think guitar-heavy, that equates to music that I'm not interested in listening to. Dude music. Better yet, Dad music. I would imagine that the average Black Keys fan is a slightly cooler-than-average dad? The Black Keys, however, either with vocals or with never entering the too-intense zone, are able to balance out that guitar-heavy Dad-rock sound and make it appealing to many people, myself included. Even "Good Love," a song in which the guitar is mainly in the forefront, is still easy to listen to. Striking that balance is, I'm sure, what's allowed them to meet so much commercial success. 

Overall, perhaps owing to the musical patterns, or the simplicity of the lyrics (or maybe due in part to the K***s going on vacation next week), when I listen to Dropout Boogie, it feels like sitting in my beach chair, drinking a beer (a craft beer... because that's no doubt what Black Keys dad fans drink) allowing the waves to continually and predictably wash over me, in the best way possible. And if that's not enjoyable, then I don’t know what is.