Their best album yet, February 5, 2005

After an explosive debut album and a mellower sophomore effort, Akron duo The Black Keys roar back with "Rubber Factory", a passionate, catchy, masterpiece that proves these guys are for real.In their third album in as many years, the Keys press ahead with their revival of the long-sputtering genre of blues rock. Having rejected a major record label and signed instead with blues authority Fat Possum, the Keys stay true to their fuzzed-out demo-tape sound, recording the album in an abandoned tire factory, with drummer Patrick Carney producing the songs on his trusty 4-track (or did they graduate to 8-track by now?). Topping both their previous efforts, "Rubber Factory" does not have a single bad song. It is actually difficult to pick the best ones because they are ALL so good.Unlike "The Big Come Up" and "Thickfreakness", though, "Rubber Factory" starts off in low gear with the mellow "When the Lights Go Out". Things get pumped up right after that with what is...

What if Queens of the Stone Age ditched the bombast? What if White Stripes ever discovered that long missing testosterone hormone? Neither would have made a better record the Black Keys' Rubber Factory, hands down the rock album of the year. Yup it's two of them and they're a black to Jack's White and both bands love the blues, but there the similarites end. Not content with impressive pastiche like the Stripes, or cheekiness like the Blues Explosion, the Keys head past the blues for blistering riff-rock. Like the new garage rockers, the sound is vital and sharp. Unlike the garage rockers, it has buckets of soul, sin and sex. It helps that singer Dan Auerbach has the best voice in rock. It also helps that drummer Patrick Carney has been studying his Wu-tang records instead Led Zeppelin's. Even more remarkable, the Black Keys may have made the first garage rock record relevant to their own generation. In the past, sloppy production blunted their attack, but here the crispness sharpens...

The Akron-based duo Black Keys (not to be confused with that other white color-named duo from Detroit) serve up their latest serving of 70s influenced rock-and-blues garage sound, and this time better than ever. This album just explodes with energy!"Rubber Factory" (13 tracks, 41 min.) starts off with a blazing "When the Lights Go Out", and doesn't let up from there. "The Desparate Man" sounds like The Jimi Hendrix Experience revived right here in your veru own living room, as does "Girl Is On My Mind", really outstanding. "The Lenghts" is the unexpected track, a ballad of some sort (gulp?), but it works somehow. "Stack Shot Billy" and "Aeroplane Blues" are heavy blues-influenced tracks. The album closer "Till I Get My Way" sums up the album perfectly, an all-out rocker with strong guitar-feedback, wow.The Black Keys are coming to Cincinnati shortly, and that's a show I'm not gonna miss. I can't wait to see these guys bring the songs from "Rubber Factory" in a...