- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
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Entertainment WeeklyShockingly well done... a remarkable album. [3 Sep 2004, p.73]
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Some called their first two albums derivative, but with this third disc the guys wrestle their greased-up garage boogie until they own it.
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PlanetThe sparse arrangements and DIY aesthetic give the Keys a rock and roll genuineness that's missing from their contemporaries. [#8, p.79]
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The most exciting and best rock & roll record of 2004.
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The Black Keys play the kind of raw, sensual blues-rock that makes you want to hide your girlfriend and warn your mom.
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FilterMore of the same meaty riffs meet familiar sweaty rhythms to take you down to the Midwestern delta one more time. [#12, p.95]
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It picks up right where Thickfreakness left off-- outside the bar in the gravel parking lot, swinging aggressively with Dan Auerbach's ferocious six-string and Patrick Carney's cymbal-and-snare seizures-- and brings the noise one step further.
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Patrick Carney and Dan Auerbach deliver a much more consistent and musically varied album with Rubber Factory, yet don’t sacrifice the guitar rock that made their previous two albums so much fun.
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This is deceptively simple, back-to-basics rock music that no honest American can help but enjoy.
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Sounds like it's coming from bluesmasters who've lived twice as long and seen three times as much.
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Rubber Factory finds inspiration in decay, and signals a hopeful future for the Black Keys.
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Their sound is no more polished than the tracks were on their last album, the also-great thickfreakness, but there's an air of stronger confidence on Rubber Factory.
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MojoThe duo-only, no bass required songs don't lack for sonic depth. [Sep 2004, p.98]
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The disc makes a lot of noise, and it sounds great in the process.
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Rubber Factory is not as consistent an offering as Thickfreakness.... But make no mistake, the strengths here more than amend for the weaknesses.
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This album shows that these guys have plenty of room to expand stylistically while still absolutely owning blues rock.
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SpinDoesn't sound as raw as they probably wanted it to. [Oct 2004, p.120]
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New Musical Express (NME)It's just a shame that quieter moments such as 'The Lengths' sound a little weedy in comparison. [4 Sep 2004, p.72]
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Q MagazineInnovation isn't on the agenda, but thanks to some stomping tunes and Auerbach's oak-smoked vocals, it's another rock-solid enterprise. [Sep 2004, p.119]
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UncutIt's terrific, lively fun--soulful, even--as long as nobody tries to tell you there's something radical about it. [Sep 2004, p.101]
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BlenderAuerbach's fat, rocketing riffs are rivaled only by his Delta-dipped drawl. [Oct 2004, p.114]
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Alternative PressThere's a bit more quiet time on this effort. [Nov 2004, p.149]
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Rolling StoneHigh-impact scuzz-blues that aims for prime Hendrix and almost gets there. [30 Sep 2004, p.186]
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 84 out of 93
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Mixed: 6 out of 93
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Negative: 3 out of 93
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CalebQJan 9, 2005
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Feb 4, 2021
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Jul 12, 2018