Attack & Release
| The Black Keys
Attack & Release
Attack & Release is the fifth studio album by American rock duo The Black Keys. It was produced by Danger Mouse and was released on April 1, 2008. The sessions saw the band transitioning away from their "homemade" ethos to record-making; not only was it the first time that the band completed an album in a professional studio, but it was also the first time they hired an outside producer to work on a record.-Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Pitchfork
Originally conceived as a collaboration with the late Ike Turner. What remained following Turner's death became the foundation of their fifth and most adventurous album to date.
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Sputnik Music
A superb album that still holds the band's core sound, but strengthens it with some developmental changes.
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All Music
Showcases the Black Keys' deepening skills but at times it's hard not to miss how the duo used to grab a listener by the neck and not let go.
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Pop Matters
Decided to abandon the old blues garage for a more modernized one, but they somehow manage to retain most of the dirt and musty smell.
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Sputnik music
The Keys grow up and recorded an amazing album.
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Consequence of Sound
Should present the Black Keys with new fans, while still managing to satisfy their die-hard fan base.
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Music OMH
intense rock prowess, harbours one of the finest collection of tracks that will be released this year.
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Slant Magazine
By and large, the pairing with Danger Mouse proves to be a shrewd choice.
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Hybrid Magazine
A decent enough album; nothing mind-blowing, but worth a listen nonetheless.
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Ultimate Guitar
This album is a step in the right direction for The Black Keys. 8/10
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BBC
A remarkably easy album to like.
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Music Direct
Danger Mouse is more creative co-conspirator than traditional figure behind the boards. He doesn't radically alter the duo's sound so much as coax out more of its inherent soulfulness, groove and bittersweet emotion.
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Drowned in Sound
A solid, sympathetically-performed record that only intermittently comes to life, which is either a subtle victory or a hollow triumph. 7/10
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AV Club
Something fresher than the sum of their overly familiar parts.
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Paste Magazine
A full spectrum of haunt.
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QRO
The duo’s swamp-rock style gets a little sophistication and comes out clean.
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Spin
They staple stuff (Moog, guitarist Marc Ribot, bluegrass harmonies) to their good ol’ R&B raunch and let ‘er rip.
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Independent
Danger Mouse is partly responsible for another of this week's strongest releases.
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NME
Sadly, these moments are too rare, leaving the record a victim of teetering bar-stool choruses and jukebox melodies.
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Static and Feedback
It’s hard to blame the band for going in a new direction when the result is as unique and successful.
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Punk Rock Theory
Excellent job!
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Bol
Immersive music, Good lyrics,Wonderful songs
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Nonesuch
Raw, dirty, uninhibited strengths while bringing cohesion to the sound and colour through subtle touches. The Independent gives the album four stars.
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Uncut
On the cusp of greatness – “Attack and Release”, produced by Danger Mouse, takes them one step closer, but not quite over the edge.
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No Recess magazine
The work of a band maturing its sound without ceding its more-radical impulses.
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Music Tap
Another grand piece of work.
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Jackson Free Press
A good album with many outstanding tracks and a few irrelevant, boring ones. Lucky for us, the good far outweighs the bad.
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No Depression
Attack And Release is another triumph of fuzz, fat-bottomed bass, portentous and often indecipherable lyrics about something or other, and riotous, up-from-the-ooze sludge-rock.
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Smile Politely
These fence-dwellers will find The Black Keys extremely flattering in this new light.
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Uncut UK
“Lies” is Motown-aping bliss, while “Things Ain’t What They Used To Be” is a bone fide classic.
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Readings AU
A quality album.
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Hartford
A bold, but fitting, way for the Black Keys to prove they know more than one way to make a statement.
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Pandora
There’s a bit of a remove here, with the riffs used as paint brushes instead of blunt objects.
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FYE
A seemingly unlikely pair that found common ground in the form of Ike Turner. It's an accomplishment and one that showcases the Black Keys' deepening skills.
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