The Black Keys

Photo by Gary Miller

The Black Keys

That Patrick Carney really beats the crap out of those skins. Problem is no one could hear the rampant kick drum and incessant crash hits the Akron, Ohio, man delivered until a banjo-less "Psychotic Girl" offered a taste of Attack & Release sans Danger Mouse's hand and brought the clamor to unforgiving levels. When they're cranking, it's fury, guitarist Dan Auerbach ripping slop-rock purity through high-actioned fret boards on Rubber Factory's "Stack Shot Billy." Only for a moment did Auerbach put the clamps on Carney, calling for a fuzz-soaked cover of Captain Beefheart's beat-up "I'm Glad," brought to a boil on quarter-note steps on the kick, before closing on A-side decibel high-marks "Strange Times" and "I Got Mine." The thrashing guitars, the raucous drum pop, it will always emerge victorious. There's no sense in keeping the Black Keys from dropping the hammer.