attack & release

why mess with a good thing?...the black keys had perfected their bare bones, basement recorded, heavy blues act over the past decade or so, & while the idea of them collaborating with danger mouse seemed intriguing (incorporating outside musicians & recording in an actual studio for their first time in the process), it could have also been a big step away from what made the two man band so good in the first place...thankfully though, with attack & release, that is definitely not the case...the addition of new elements, like organ, xylophone, clarinet, flute, & backing vocals have expanded & improved on their sound without infringing on it at all...they also appear to be branching out as songwriters & while some of the tunes may not be as immediately rewarding or powerful as their earlier work, the songs all manage to flow together, creating a nice overall feel to the album...it's a step forward for two guys who seem to be grounded in the past...attack & release comes out today, the black keys will be at the riv on april 12th.

download: the black keys - psychotic girl
download: the black keys - same old thing

related: looks like the black keys might be the ones to finally get rod the bod to stop singing that damn american songbook & start mattering again...plus, we could actually get to hear those ike turner collaborations that fueled attack & release...nice. (via billboard)