The Black Keys - Attack & Release

4.0/5
First, let me start off by saying this is a completely different sound for blues-purists The Black Keys. It is much more polished, due to Danger Mouse taking the production reigns. Part of their original charm was the way they grabbed hold of you with their raw blues energy. This new style is different, but it's also not bad at all. That's what's so great about having the power to revisit their older albums (I recommend Rubber Factory, by the way). Attack & Release is very atmospheric. Danger Mouse adds a lot of subtle ornamentation that augments the music. The lead single "Strange Times" uses piano and a haunting choir to great effect. "Psychotic Girl" opens up with a banjo lick that sounds like the puppet/doll at the very beginning of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride (that's a good thing, haha). "Same Old Thing" sounds like an even bluesier Jethro Tull. And "I Got Mine" sounds like the Black Keys in their comfort zone: playing and howling the blues, as they should be.