Artist The Black Keys

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The Black Keys

The Black Keys have been saddled with frequent comparisons to that other two-piece garage band with a similar sounding name—that is, until they teamed up with producer Danger Mouse for 2008’s Attack & Release, which then became the new go-to point of reference. He showed up again on 2010’s Grammy-nominated Brothers, although the Gnarls Barkley influence on it is hardly perceptible. The Keys revisit much of their own catalog with the new record, opening up their already established blues-rock to weirder, cheerier transgressions. It’s a thoroughly lifting effort that redefines what “classic” Black Keys can really be.

Updated 06/22/2011