The Black Keys don't so much repeat history with their version of the dirty blues as they stretch it to fit a whole new future. Witness 2008's Attack & Release. Written after producer Danger Mouse tapped the twosome to studio-up with rhythm-and-blues legend Ike Turner, the LP is a testament to what could've been (Turner died before the project could come to life) and what can be when a couple of traditionalists are let loose with a visionary. The stroll to a swamp church "All You Ever Wanted," the cinematic nod to Angelo Badalamenti "Remember When (Side A)," and the winsome "Things Ain't Like They Used to Be" shows the kick of four-on-the-floor pulling over to the shoulder.
All those kicks and more are on the way when the Black Keys unleash Brothers in the middle of May. And although we probably won't hear last year's rap-shattering Blakroc (though one can always hope), Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney's hard and unvarnished melodies will take the fabled Fillmore Gleason stage by storm. Expect loud in all its dimensions, and expect a fathomless depth.
