The Black Keys

The Black Keys - Attack & Release (2008)

A band I got to see at Bonnaroo last year (or at least hear as you can see from the picture below which was taken during their set) that I've been meaning to track down and finally did. And I'm glad I did. Pitchfork describes their latest effort as follows:

The Black Keys seemed doomed to linger in the long, black-and-red shadow of the White Stripes. That's perhaps unfair: Akron's Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney have perfected their own brand of Delta-tinged, garage minimalism. But after four albums, even they seemed to realize they had hit a creative wall. Luckily, in 2007, they were tapped by producer Danger Mouse for a collaboration with Ike Turner, though when he passed away last December, the project left the duo with a host of material. This became the foundation of their fifth and most adventurous album to date. Maneuvering between the King of Rhythm's joie de vivre and their crestfallen, crossroads-blues heritage, Attack and Release subtly expands the Black Keys sound.

The reviews have been pretty strong. Listen at MySpace and here's a recent NPR appearance on World Carfe.