Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Baby 81
I’ve been a big fan of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club since day one and have been a willing passenger in their awesome music journey. The first two albums – BRMC and Take Them On, On Your Own – established the band’s sonic template of 70’s garage rock melded with the psychedelic rock and noise of The Jesus and Mary Chain.
What really threw fans for a loop was the release of Howl, their third album. The band effectively left the bombast of the first two albums and came out with an album that can best be described as blues and folk with rock overtones. There were some fans who actually hated the album. As for me, I completely loved it. This is the kind of courage and self confidence that I look for in artists. They are not afraid to alienate an established fanbase. They make music for music’s sake, which is a true mark of the indie attitude.
With Baby 81, BRMC has returned to their more familiar rock sound but this time, they have rounded it out with the experimentations they made in Howl. This makes for a far more satisfying record for me. Baby 81 offers a more mature sound that fully encompasses what the band sonically represents.
The lead off track Took Out a Loan is like a comforting tap on the shoulder for fans who were left with their jaws hanging when they popped their Howl CDs on their players. It was a reassuring “Hey, we’re back to rock your socks off!” But alongside the rockers, BRMC has deftly included Howl-like blues/folk/hybrids like 666 Conductor. Of course, the band also put in some surprising inclusions like the 9 minute epic American X that is so full of power and swagger you won’t notice the track time.
Overall, Baby 81 is another notable effort from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. They are now 4 - 0 in delivering a quality release. I hope this streak continues because they are one of the few American rock bands out there that still hasn’t lost the real essence of rock.
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Baby 81, Howl
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