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\n\tThe economy might be slowing down, but they\u2019re still firing on all cylinders at the Black Keys<\/a>\u2018 retro-rock factory. \u201cTime don\u2019t slow\/It\u2019s passing you by\/No matter how we try,\u201d\u00a0Dan Auerbach <\/strong>intones on the smooth-rolling title track from No Rain<\/em><\/em>, No Flowers<\/em>, the band\u2019s 13th album. If anything, Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney have built their success by sidestepping time rather than giving in to it. In their reality, rock remains suspended in arena-packing amber, 1970s radio drive-time vibes are an eternal power source, and two tight bros from Akron, Ohio can still form bands that roll on for decades.<\/p>\n \n\tRecently, though, the Keys\u2019 uniquely smooth career trajectory hit a bit of a bump. The tour planned for their last album, 2024\u2019s Ohio Players<\/em>, got canceled<\/a>, and Auerbach <\/strong>and Carney split<\/a> with their management. So, instead of doing a big tour, they hunkered down and made a good album. On Ohio Players<\/em>, the often hermetic duo brought in collaborators like Beck<\/a>, Dan the Automator<\/a>, and Noel Gallagher<\/a> to add some new flavors to their signature high-definition garage-rock.\u00a0No Rain<\/em>, No Flowers<\/em> is similarly collaborative, with big-name studio practitioners like Lana Del Rey producer Rick Nowels, hip-hop\/R&B vet Scott Storch, and Daniel Tashian (who helmed Kacey Musgraves\u2019 landmark Golden Hour<\/em>) joining the band in their Easy Eye Sound to help craft one of their most precision-tuned LPs yet.<\/p>\n