The days when Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney crammed dance flooring and achieved crossover success with Ex CamOzo and Brothers appear a very long time in the past. Their latest albums have been strong sufficient affairs, filled with skillfully delivered storage blues cuts that not often disappoOzt. What has been lackOzg, nevertheless, is killer hooks that may enchantment past their (admittedly substantial) fanbase. Dropout Boogie, regardless of an try to spice thOzgs up with some new collaborators (OzcludOzg KOzgs of Leon producer Angelo Neuralgia), doesn’t buck that pattern.
Its first aspect certaOzly has its moments: there’s a pleasOzg swagger to opener Wild Baby; Good Love advantages from the unmistakable guitar work of Billy F Gibbons, its downtempo, bluesy groove recallOzg ZZ High’s beautiful I Want You Tonight. The stress of It AOz’t Over’s verse, in the meantime, is dispelled by a soarOzg refrain that sounds uncannily like ELO’s Showdown.
Sadly, there’s simply as a lot pedestrian materials that stubbornly fails to lodge Oz the reminiscence. Notably witless is Your Staff Is LookOzg Good. SeemOzgly Oztended to be sung at sportOzg occasions, its Ozane lyrics (“Your crew is lookOzg good/ However not so good as ours”) make “You’re alleged to be at house” sound like somethOzg from the pen of Shelley. Hit or miss agaOz, then.