Home > Music > CD Review > The Black Keys, 'Attack & Release'

The Black Keys, 'Attack & Release'

Danger Mouse takes Ohio's garage-rock duo back to the future

By Scott Thill

Special to Metromix
March 31, 2008

Critic's Rating:

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Backstory: Since 2001, Dan Auerbach and Pat Carney have been sequencing the genes of rock and blues into a new-millennium hybrid that's moved crowds and units alike. It's rare that a two-piece can create such addictive noise, but the Black Keys have been able to avoid nostalgia and bring something new to tradition's table. From their two-fisted early work "The Big Come-Up" and "Thickfreakness" to their crossover efforts "Rubber Factory" and "Magic Potion," they've made a name for themselves in rawk stadiums and Madison Avenue marketing screens.

Why you should care: Although traditional blues has prided itself on innovation through repetition, the Black Keys have signed hip-hop mixmaster Danger Mouse to helm their newest release in hopes of turning that equation on its head. It’s a winning formula; from the gangsta synths backing up the dirty riffage on "Strange Times" to the trip-hop drumtracking and lonesome banjo of "Psychotic Girl," the Black Keys succeed with skill at merging schools old and new.

Verdict: Although it might lose in volume what it makes up for in experimentation, the payoff of "Attack & Release" rewards repeat investment. The measured walking blues of "All You Ever Wanted" feels like the soundtrack for a trip to Jupiter. The torchlight gospel of "Lies" sleepwalks its way to revelatory climaxes, and "I Got Mine" reminds you how much Auerbach can channel Jimmy Page when the urge takes hold. Even the ambitious two-part epic "Remember When" is a winner, veering from ambient electro-country to Kinks-like sludge without missing a single beat.

X-Factor: The Black Keys had a project with Ike Turner in the works, which fell apart when the controversial soul icon passed in 2007.