KEY DRIP:

First Listen: The Black Keys, 'Brothers' (Bob Boilen, 5/09/10, NPR)

Like its predecessors, Brothers is remarkably, consistently strong stuff, though this one feels a bit tamer, with more of an R&B influence. The album was recorded mostly in a studio dripping with the sounds of Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett and The Rolling Stones (circa Sticky Fingers), and even finds The Black Keys covering soul singer Jerry Butler.

Exceptionally well-produced by Auerbach and Carney themselves — though "Tighten Up" is produced by Danger Mouse — Brothers was mixed by Tchad Blake, a genius in making sounds pop from the speakers while giving definition to the playing.