Blackened blues

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"TWO'S company," the saying goes, something that Ohio blues rock duo The Black Keys have demonstrated to great effect on their first two albums, doing most of the recording, mixing and production themselves.

However, for their third album, Attack And Release, they are aiming to prove three's not a crowd, welcoming overseer Danger Mouse of Gnarls Barkley, Dangerdoom and Gorillaz fame to the fold.
And the result has certainly put the cool cat amongst the lo-fi outfit's pigeons.

Admittedly a slow burner to begin with, setting off down the same rocky road as previous outings with tracks like I Got Mine and first single, the stomping Strange Times.

But then procedings take a sharp left at Psychotic Girl and head out into country territory and then round the houses, picking up funky flute solos here and bluegrass duets there.

It's a novel plan of attack for the twosome, especially considering how rooted in the past their previous albums are, but it's paid off in this release.