“Throughout the course of four proper albums, the Black Keys hewed to a no-nonsense formula: guitar, drums, vocals, period. It was so satisfyingly simple and raw it’s likely the duo could have successfully deployed it again. But, to paraphrase the old saying, you can’t know what you’ve been missing until you’ve had it, and on “Attack & Release,” we have it. Danger Mouse, the first producer to work with the Keys, takes on a role akin to gardener: He nurtures the duo’s innate musicality, allowing its elemental blues-rock to bloom into something far grander. Clever but tasteful arrangements and an impeccable shine make songs like “Same Old Thing” seem anything but. The heavy, dirge-like “Lies” and the playful, faux-spooky “Psychotic Girl,” which melds whimsical keyboard with earthy banjo and slide guitar, are but two of many highlights. —Susan Visakowitz”
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