The best song on the record is the $15 song "So He Won't Break." "So He Won't Break" mixes futuristic sounds with a ZZ Top-like hook. Subtle sonic flourishes like the wonderful use of vibes meld with one of Auerbach's best vocals; Mark Lanegan has a couple songs with similar sonic characteristics on his I'll Take Care of You album, although with a little less futuristic noodling. Maybe I've fallen in love with it too much to be objective, but I hear single potential with this one.
Some people look at me like I'm talking about the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus when I talk about "The $15 Song." I feel a little like Linus trying to convince you people to hang out in the pumpkin patch, waiting for the Great Pumpkin.
What is a $15 Song, you ask? A song so good you'd gladly fork over $15 to buy the CD to own that one song. Yeah, I know, iTunes. Right. Fuck off. A $1 song has no poetry. It has no prestige. A $15 song? Now that's got stroke. That has fiber. Maybe it's more like the $5 Shake in Pulp Fiction. Whatever. The point is there is a $15 song on Attack & Release.
"So He Won't Break" is so good I'd gladly pay $15 just to own the album graced by its presence. I've listened to that song alone enough times in the past week to feel I've already gotten $15 worth. It's one of those instances where DM took what was good and made it better. Other high points on the record are "All You Ever Wanted," "I Got Mine," "Strange Times," and "Psychotic Girl," the latter sounding very Morphine-esque.
Some songs benefit more than others from DM's touch and only a couple are adversely impacted by it. At its core, this is still a BK record with BK sounds and songs. I imagine some of the faithful won't like the influence, but there may well be some people put off by the rawness of past records who will embrace something with a little more ear candy.
Whether you've loved them for years or never heard of them before, Attack & Release demands your attention. I can't imagine this not being one of the hottest releases of the year.
Article comments
1 - Kevin Eagan
This album is just so good, I can't stop playing it. It's another that may make my list of best music of the year (we'll see how the rest of the year pans out).
2 - Josh Hathaway
Thanks for the comment, Kevin. I agree with you. It's hard for me to imagine this not making my list somewhere. I love this record.