With No Rain, No Flowers, the Black Keys stretch out, dig deep, and come back grittier and groovier than ever. The band’s 13th studio album finds Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney tapping into a broader, bolder sound; one shaped as much by sweaty dance floors and rare vinyl as it is by their Ohio-bred rock instincts.

Following the chart-topping The Night Before and the thumping title track, No Rain, No Flowers feels like the duo’s most ambitious swing yet. It’s a record full of left turns and sticky hooks, stitched together by the pulse of rhythm and the unmistakable chemistry between two musicians who’ve spent decades building their own lane.

That expansion comes in part from a trio of heavy-hitting collaborators: hitmaker Rick Nowels, country-pop architect Daniel Tashian, and legendary producer/keys player Scott Storch. Together, they helped widen the palette — layering in melodies, textures, and beats that echo the sounds Auerbach and Carney have been spinning at their now-legendary Record Hangs.

“We’ve been collecting hundreds of these obscure records,” Auerbach says, referring to the high-energy DJ nights that inspired much of the new material. “The one thing they all have in common is that they have to work on the dance floor. You can definitely hear that influence.”

And you do. Songs like “Babygirl” bounce with retro swagger, while “Make You Mine” glides along a stoned disco groove that somehow still feels like Akron. Self-produced at their Easy Eye Sound studios in Nashville, No Rain, No Flowers is a lean, unfiltered document of a band shaking off the stadium-rock dust and stepping back into the club.

It’s also a statement of intent. After canceling a 2024 arena tour and parting ways with longtime management, the Black Keys have clearly reclaimed the wheel. The result is a tighter, more focused album that’s not afraid to dance, flirt, or throw down.