The music industry as we’ve known it is drastically changing. In a day where most of the population decides whether or not to spend $13.99 on iTunes for an album based on the 30 second demos, it’s no wonder. If a song is not an iTunes Top Song or Album – hint: not indicative that it is actually good – most people will not spend the money. The sale is essentially lost if it takes more than one listen to an album to feel its soul. That being said, it took me about three complete listens to The Black Keys’ most recent album “Attack and Release” to feel it, but it was entirely worth the investment because now I can’t turn it off.
Often sounding as if it’s being transmitted from a far-away place or a vastly different time (like Mars, from the 1950’s), “Attack and Release” is a stimulating yet significant acoustic change from The Black Keys’ norm. This experimentation with sound, distorted amplification, and nuanced finesse from featured solo instruments including the flute, organ, banjo, and harmonica, really expand the auditory color palate for The Black Keys.
The initial musical impression for this album is 70’s rock with a bluesy slow southern drawl. Each song has something to offer musically, for example ‘Remember When (Side A)’ feels like you’re sitting on a porch on a rocking chair in the south in late afternoon. You can hear the neighbor whistling, and see the dust settle as the world transitions from blistering day to sweltering night, light and music fading as the sun sets. The next track, ‘Remember When (Side B)’, is the raucous southern rock jam that blares out of the smoky neighborhood bar that night.
The tracks intertwine under an all-encompassing chronological map of events: triumph, revolution, relationship, heartache, and emotional healing which occur under the inevitable march of time. The listener follows this winding map through the music, beginning with the reminiscent narrative of ‘I Got Mine’, (“I was a movin’ man in my younger days/ But I gone out of my ramblin’ ways”), to the post-heartbreak lessons learned in ‘He Won’t Break’ and ‘Things Ain’t What They Used to Be’. My favorite track, ‘Same Old Thing’, elicits immediate Jethro Tull flashbacks featuring the aggressive yet funky rock-virtuosic flute part, gritty bass line, and vamped guitar line, which feels like anything but “Just the same old thing.”
While the music undoubtedly stands for itself, The Black Keys’ experimentation of unique sounds is what makes a lasting impact. The way they delve into new sonic worlds by melding together varying degrees of distortion and neo-classic southern blues melodies and improvisation, enveloped in the unwavering shell of superb musicianship, is sure to enchant the most devout Led Zeppelin and Black Keys fans alike.
—————————
More information
—————————
http://www.theblackkeys.com
