Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Take Them On, On Your Own
Virgin
It’s not a big surprise that Black Rebel Motorcycle Club thank both Oasis and The Dandy Warhols in the liner notes of Take Them On, On Your Own. Throughout the album’s twelve tracks the band either channels the former’s “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star” or the latter’s “Not if You Were the Last Junkie On Earth.” It’s not a very wide step from one sound to the other, and the pervasive Spirit of ‘96 that runs from track to track shortens the trail even more.
The question is, is this really such a bad thing? No. People who enjoyed the two above-mentioned bands in their heyday will find quite a bit to enjoy here. There’s no standout track that muscles itself to the forefront of interest, but the guitar leads on “Shine of Blue” play off against the monolithic rhythm section pretty well. “And I’m Aching” gets a gold star for its acoustic balladry effort.
Let’s face it, no one looks to driving hard rock to satisfy their appetite for musical innovation. This is monochrome rock, pure and simple. It’s dirtier than The Strokes and darker than The White Stripes – and for being third generation derivation, it’s better than I’d expected it to be.
Virgin Records: http://www.virginrecords.com/ • Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: http://www.blackrebelmotorcycleclub.com/
