The Black Keys
Attack & Release
Nonesuch Records [2008]
From the jump, The Black Keys carved out their own raw, fuzzed-out corner of garage-blues rock. Four albums in, they could have kept mining that gritty vein—but instead, they shook things up. Teaming with Danger Mouse on Attack & Release opened new doors, adding textures and instruments the Akron duo had never toyed with before. You get flutes weaving through “Same Old Thing,” banjo picking creeping into the swampy “Psychotic Girl,” and organ flourishes that haunt the edges of multiple tracks. But don’t worry—they didn’t toss the guitar grit. “I Got Mine” and “Remember When (Side B)” still roar with the reverb-heavy swagger that made fans latch on in the first place. And when the record closes with the bluesy “Things Ain’t Like They Used to Be,” it’s clear: the collaboration didn’t dilute The Black Keys—it deepened them.
KEY TRACKS
“I Got Mine” / “Same Old Thing” / “Strange Times”
ARTISTS WITH SIMILAR FIRE
The Pack A.D. / The White Stripes / The Greenhornes
A lifelong fan of new music—spent the '90s working in a record store and producing alternative video shows. In the 2000s, that passion shifted online with blogging, diving headfirst into the indie scene and always on the lookout for the next great release. Still here, still listening, and still sharing the best of what’s new.
- Christopher Anthonyhttps://thefirenote.com/author/canthony/
- Christopher Anthonyhttps://thefirenote.com/author/canthony/
- Christopher Anthonyhttps://thefirenote.com/author/canthony/
- Christopher Anthonyhttps://thefirenote.com/author/canthony/
