Produced by Danger Mouse (Gnarls Barkley, Gorillaz, The Grey Album), Attack & Release was recorded at engineer Paul Hamann's illustrious Suma Studio outside Cleveland, Ohio. Initial collaboration began when Danger Mouse (a.k.a. Brian Burton) approached the band to write songs for an album he was developing with the late R&B legend Ike Turner. As the band began composing tracks for Turner early last year, though, they quickly realized they were actually laying the groundwork for a new album of their own. Attack & Release thus became The Black Keys' first collaborative effort, as it morphed into their own album with Danger Mouse as producer. By recording in an actual studio (another first), guitarist-vocalist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney were given the opportunity to add a variety of instruments to their usual simple set-up-including organ, moog, and banjo. Besides Auerbach, Carney, and Danger Mouse's work, other contributions on Attack & Release include guitarist Marc Ribot and multi-instrumentalist Ralph Carney (Patrick's uncle)-both veterans of, among other things, Tom Waits' band.

Bonus 7" is the Strange Times / Something On Your Mind single and is limited worldwide to 1000 units.