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Here he comes to save the day - Danger Mouse is on the way. Just when The Black Keys were running the risk of becoming a one-trick pony, Sir Gnarls himself has arrived on the scene to give the guitar-and-drums duo a much needed shot in the arm.

Attack & Release, the Keys' fifth and most recent studio album, branches out considerably more than its predecessor under the tasteful tinkering of sonic mastermind Danger Mouse. Where Magic Potion felt a bit recycled as a whole, the new album gets a bit wider in scope. A little dash of weird here and there goes a long way for the Keys.

Of course, Danger Mouse, who produced the album, is not solely responsible for breaking up the monotony. For Attack, guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney reached out to two of Tom Waits' longtime collaborators, Marc Ribot and Carney's Uncle Ralph. As a result, Attack smashes through the limitations present on previous Keys albums.

In the past, Auerbach and Carney have done their fair share of reaching out for some sound variation. Several months before releasing Magic, the duo tackled Chulahoma, a 28-minute EP dedicated to the songs of blues legend Junior Kimbrough. In contrast with the following full-length album, Chulahoma went a little darker and stranger.

But Magic never made good on the promises of Chulahoma and Rubber Factory. Less than two years later, Attack & Release goes above and beyond what many have come to anticipate from a Black Keys album. The bold, classic rock-and-blues mash ups are still ever-present, but with some fresh eyes and ears at their disposal, Auerbach and Carney have greatly expanded their approach.

Album standout "Psychotic Girl" has The Black Keys showcasing all the new twists on their old bag of tricks. Auerbach does not play his slide guitar parts so much as let them escape, like squealing air from a stretched balloon tip. A simple piano refrain and a banjo track make it into Danger Mouse's dense mix, as Auerbach relates the fragments of a broken relationship.

But for every attack, there is a release. Never before have the Keys worked so effectively in balancing tempo and pace across an entire album. Nightmares give way to sweet dreams. The slow crawl becomes the hard burn before flipping back and forth, evolving into some deep funk.

There are drum machines (wonder whose influence that was), flutes, xylophones and plenty of whirling pedal effects, to boot. If it grooves, then The Black Keys have laid it down.

Not enough attention can be given to Danger Mouse's excellent ear for composition, and the guy only gets better with time. His work on the Gnarls Barkley debut exhibited a terrific blend of funk, soul, acid rock and hip-hop sensibilities. With The Black Keys, he has cut down a bit on some of the clutter, reigned in a few of his impulses and produced an incredible-sounding album.

With the Keys putting so much variety on display, Danger Mouse's production really is the thread holding everything together. "Remember When (Side A)" gleams in its psychedelic coating, the airy sound of American roots music on magic mushrooms. The sequel, "Remember When (Side B)," thrashes in the opposite direction, a pure garage number. With their newfound range, The Black Keys are the sum of these two distinct parts, equally reflective and aggressive.

On "Strange Times," they begin in full-on rock mode, slowing down for the eerie, almost baroque, chorus. Even with all the new digs in place, the album would not be half as impressive had Auerbach not carved out the band's most beautiful, memorable melodies to date. The battle-worn finale, "Things Ain't Like They Used To Be," features a lovely duet between Auerbach and newcomer Jessica Lea Mayfield, capping off what is absolutely the best Black Keys album to date.

What a terrible shame Ike Turner died before Danger Mouse and the Keys could complete their collaborative album. Supposedly, some of the finished material from the sessions may eventually see the light of day.

Until then, one masterpiece will do just fine.

zherrm@umd.edu

RATING: 4.5 STARS OUT OF 5

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