For anyone who has stayed abreast with Auerbach’s solo career and is expecting any recognizable continuity between his first solo record, 2009’s “Keep It Hid,” and his most recent offering, the exposition of “Waiting on a Song”will almost certainly leave him or her feeling quite jarred. 
But when you’re out west and have lost the light and trail, it’s always advisable to get one’s bearings.  The eponymous track of “Waiting on a Song” was co-written by musical Americana extraordinaire John Prine. 
Just when the nostalgia begins to settle, though, there is a rumbling of thunder on the horizon.  The cattle begin to kick up a storm, and the fuzzy tone that has come to be associated with Auerbach’s performance work is subtly realized.  
What follows is an outpouring of nostalgia with parallel drop offs in inspiration and lyrical content, which could almost certainly be attributed to Prine’s involvement being limited to the first track. 
That nostalgia reaches its zenith on the track “King of a One Horse Town,” which references the Dylan epic “Desolation Row” and the rhythm and blues classic “Let’s Go Get Stoned” in a lyrical line slightly more sweet than it is awkward. 
The accompanying music video for “King of a One Horse Town” gives a scene of small-town decay and lonely debauchery that surprisingly produces an endearing sentiment for the King. 
After a few dud songs —“Cherrybomb” and “Stand By My Girl” — the record is rounded out with two solid numbers, “Undertow” and “Show Me.” 
“Waiting on a Song” is not a particularly mature or cohesive record but is a welcomed release as it hints at a return to the Americana Auerbach has proven himself able to express sonically on past releases like Dr John’s “Locked Down” (2012). 
While also lacking the freshness of the releases of The Arcs, this record proves that Auerbach has not been completely sullied by the increasingly pop-oriented work of the Black Keys.  
DJ 440