Rating:

(Red Ink, 2005) “Have you heard the one about the Jesus and Mary Motorcycle Club?” B.R.M.C. sure have. The constant comparisons between early period Jesus and Mary Chain and the first two albums from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club had left the band pigeoholed. The slow, meandering, completely fuzzed out sound had kind of run its course for the band.

Make no mistake, their debut was quite an album, when their trademark sound was in full effect. It was like a breath of fresh air in 2001. If you can remember that far back, that was the time before all of the 80’s sounding bands had burst through. The follow up, Take Them On, On Your Own, was a hookier, more steady take on their debut. An apt comparison would be the first two albums from the Strokes. Whereas Is This It? created the template, Room On Fire added slight flourishes to the sound. Taking all of that into account, Howl comes off like a stunner.

Imagine a world where Levon Helm and Robbie Robertson get along, or a world where The Band was formed in 1995, instead of 1965. That describes the overriding sound to Howl. A complete 180 degree turn from their previous work, you ask? Well, not totally. The lyrics are still kind of a downer. The sonics, though, speak for themselves. The overtracked harmony of tone setting opener “Shuffle Your Fee” makes you believe that the group may have found its true muse. The bulding organ dirge of “Howl” confirms that thought. The song builds to a massive conclusion of different voices and a glorious noise. The acoustic “Devil’s Waitin” continues the pattern of “old-timey” themes. The heart of the album begins through the piano-led “Promise” to the aptly titled “Gospel Song”. But all of this seems like a prelude compared to the two closers. “Sympathetic Noose” starts, aptly, with an acoustic guitar at a gliding shuffle. Then the drums kick in, and it sounds almost like a trip hop beat. The closing “The Line” is an epic, multi section beauty. It starts with a few pounded piano chords, then the tamborine and drums. The bass line sets the bottom for the memorable melody. It all builds to a final gasp of “When did you stop caring?”

Like their previous work, the band wrote and produced the album themselves. The production has a dry, dusty quality that fits ideally with the rustic, old style songs. There are hints of modern music, though, in the aforementioned “Sympathetic Noose” and the stomping “Ain’t No Easy Way”.

The third album is always an important one in the career path of any band. Usually, a band will begin to find their voice by the third album. It usually sets the tone for the band’s career. The third album can be promising (Radiohead’s glorious OK Computer) or troublesome (Oasis’ overblown Be Here Now). Howl represents a clear break from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s past. Could this represent a future of “genre-hopping”? Or, will the band continue in this countryish vein? Based on the results of Howl, either way, listeners are in for a treat.

 1. Shuffle Your Feet

 2. Howl

 3. Devil’s Waiting

 4. Ain’t No Easy Way

 5. Still Suspicion Holds You Tight

 6. Fault Line

 7. Promise

 8. Weight of the World

 9. Restless Sinner

10. Gospel Song

11. Complicated Situation

12. Sympathetic Noose

13. The Line

Buy album

– Jeff Crowder

This 4-beetsreview was posted on June 19th, 2006. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.