ShockHound

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  5 of 5

  
  

  Black Rebel Motorcycle Club have always been a great band who write good songs. But on their sixth full-length, BEAT THE DEVIL'S TATTOO, the Los Angeles-based trio ascend to a monstrously tight new level. It’s easy for psych-rock bands to get repetitive, so it’s encouraging that founding members Peter Hayes and Robert Levon Been took their sound and pushed it to the razor’s edge on the album. On “River Styx,” the dudes lumber along with a hip-shaking jangle and haunting aura fit for a David Lynch film. Meanwhile, “Long Way Down” proves they don’t need to rely on a wall of sound to get their point across; the song is a straight-up piano-based pop melody rich in minor chords and a dreamy through line, and is play-on-repeat-twenty-times-in-a-row good. Overall, BTDT is a massive turn of good fortune for Hayes and Been who saw founding drummer Nick Jago exit the band yet again in ’08 (he may or may not have been fired). Jago was replaced by Raveonettes’ touring drummer Leah Shapiro, who makes a worthy addition to the lineup with her heavy-handed take on the skins. Not only is this a must-have album, but we have a feeling the material will make for a must-see show, as well. Should be interesting to see just how far this devil takes BRMC. – Tatiana Simonian

4 months ago

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  5 of 5

  
  

  Black Rebel Motorcycle Club have always been a great band who write good songs. But on their sixth full-length, BEAT THE DEVIL'S TATTOO, the Los Angeles-based trio ascend to a monstrously tight new level. It’s easy for psych-rock bands to get repetitive, so it’s encouraging that founding members Peter Hayes and Robert Levon Been took their sound and pushed it to the razor’s edge on the album. On “River Styx,” the dudes lumber along with a hip-shaking jangle and haunting aura fit for a David Lynch film. Meanwhile, “Long Way Down” proves they don’t need to rely on a wall of sound to get their point across; the song is a straight-up piano-based pop melody rich in minor chords and a dreamy through line, and is play-on-repeat-twenty-times-in-a-row good. Overall, BTDT is a massive turn of good fortune for Hayes and Been who saw founding drummer Nick Jago exit the band yet again in ’08 (he may or may not have been fired). Jago was replaced by Raveonettes’ touring drummer Leah Shapiro, who makes a worthy addition to the lineup with her heavy-handed take on the skins. Not only is this a must-have album, but we have a feeling the material will make for a must-see show, as well. Should be interesting to see just how far this devil takes BRMC. – Tatiana Simonian