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Category:
Roots / Blues

Try if you like:
20 Miles, Buffalo Killers, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, New Mississippi All Stars

• Strange Times (audio) High
• Strange Times

Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney sure have come a long way since their Fat Possum days. They've managed to almost hit the mainstream with their blues-roots-rock amalgam. Attack & Release is the second album on the eclectic Nonesuch label and the first to feature the talents of Danger Mouse as producer. 

Now you may wonder what sort of havoc DM would play on the signature sound of The Black Keys. Well, the album starts out with a soulful ballad called "All You Ever Wanted", probably the best vocals I have heard from this duo. Then the reach for the blues on "I Got Mine" sound ever so much like Canadian faves Big Sugar.  Not much change so far, but then you can hear Mouse's influence on "Strange Times". This one jumps two feet straight into some dirty rock sounding reminiscent of The White Stripes. But don't worry too much, the guys return to a roots influenced track called "Psychotic Girl" with a cleverly position banjo line. Then Dan gets all soulful on the achingly beautiful crooner "Lies". Then they get even mellower with "Remember When" but still, these guys refuse to sound sappy. The raunch is back with side B of "Remember When". Nice touch. Dan's vocals get better with every album and the two just get tighter and tighter with their arrangements. Then, of all things, we hear a flute on "Same Old Thing", but damn if it doesn't come off as my favorite on the album.

While I have given their last two albums 4.5 stars I had no choice but to up this album, and the only way up is a perfect 5 star album. Really, these guys are far from done their rock and roll tour of duty. If you haven't checked in with this Akron, OH band then Attack & Release is the place to begin.