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The Black Keys, ‘Attack & Release’ (Nonesuch)

All blues-punk duos, the Black Keys included, start with a reverence for the source material and the thrill of ruled composition. They get ragged for a while (in the Keys’ case, for four albums), eventually establishing bona fides. Then comes the futzing around (see the thick thrum of the White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army”). Here, the Akron, Ohio twosome teams with producer Danger Mouse, who quietly folds in the occasional breakbeat, even adding that classic hipster signifier — the funk flute — to “Same Old Thing.” But mostly the Keys just staple stuff (Moog, guitarist Marc Ribot, bluegrass harmonies) to their good ol’ R&B raunch and let ‘er rip.

Now Hear This: “I Got Mine” QUICKTIME | WINDOWS MEDIA

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