Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Take Them On, On Your Own
[Virgin]

What's so boring about bands like BRMC, is their inability to experiment or move-on from their usual sound, so alas, we find 'Take Them On..' is really
nothing new or original. From first listen, the only noticeable point is the guitars have been turned up to the max and they've invested in far too many
FX pedals. There's also as much diversity as say, Westlife, meaning by four tracks in, the album is barely listenable and incredibly dull.

Obvious nods to early Spacemen 3 can be heard in live favourite 'US Government', as guitars drone in unison with a pounding, primitive beat, the vocals are heavily distorted and fed through numerous FX. Great influences are scattered throughout, but sadly, their own sound is nowhere near the same league as the bands they happily plagiarise. In comparison to such
genre defining moments as spacemen 3's 'Perfect Prescription' or 'Playing With Fire', BRMC sound bland and lack the rawness and drive that made those
albums so magical and special.

An obvious attempt at a chart topping entry comes in the form of 'We're All In Love', this couldn't be any closer to the Dandy Warhols if it tried. A poppy, glam inspired track with definite Warhols drums and guitars, heck, even the vocals are similar. What with the use of such high levels of unnecessary feedback and guitar noise, it's quite difficult to establish whether any of the songs actually hold a decent tune. Shame really, BRMC are one of the few garage bands that are actually any good, pity they fail to excite.