Attack & Release
Moving away from the deliberate lo-fi scuzz of their earlier albums, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney called on the production talents of Brian Burton, a.k.a. Danger Mouse, for *Attack and Release*. This unexpected but inspired choice moves their blues-infused garage rock sound into a modern, melodic direction while avoiding excessive slickness. There\'s a wider emotional range as well, moving from the wistful \"All You Ever Wanted\" to the plaintive twang of \"Things Ain\'t Like They Used to Be,\" featuring the heartbreaking, soulful wail of country singer Jessica Lea Mayfield.
The Delta-tinged garage band's latest record-- created with producer Danger Mouse-- was originally conceived as a collaboration with the late Ike Turner. What remained following Turner's death became the foundation of their fifth and most adventurous album to date.
There's a good reason that most rock bands aren't duos—the sonic palette dries up quickly. Blues-rock tandem The Black Keys appeared to max out its potential on 2004's Rubber Factory, eschewing the primitivism of its previous releases and embracing full-bodied arena-rock stomp. At that point, The Black Keys should…
The album finds the duo looking far beyond themselves and their single guitar and drum kit for the first time.
After four very enjoyable albums that had the same nasty ambience, the Black Keys (Dan Auerbach on guitar and vocals, Patrick Carney on drums) decided it...