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Ok, so first off I must iterate the fact that this particular run down is in no particular order, nor is it a definitive list of the best British record labels of all time (as if such a breakdown could ever be truly quantified). It is simply a list of some personal favourites within the British...MORE>>

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club  - Beat The Devil’s Tattoo

 

Its taken two years for Californian rock trio Black Rebel Motorcycle Club to produce an album that critics can pull apart piece by piece. Our job for now is to check out Beat the Devils Tattoo, the debut single from the forthcoming album of the same name.

 

We all know BRMC for their unique brand of garage rock and political lyrics. When you hear one of their songs, you instantly recognise their sound. Although this is obviously a strength of theirs and something which is hard to achieve, it has become a problem.

 

Beat the Devils Tattoo just feels like the boys have picked up the discarded riffs from the studio floor that have amassed over the years and fired out a quick single. Sound harsh? I guess when you have been looking forward to a debut single for so long and it sounds like nothing new, it gets kinda depressing.

 

BRMC are constantly compared to Kasabian, and I don’t really know why. Yes they have similarities in style. Yes they have an underground feel to their music. Yes many of their songs sound like soviet rally cries brought up to date with a dash of indie influence. But Kasabian have taken over. They have the perfect balance between a polished sound and an organic rough ‘n’ ready feel. BRMC just don’t seem to have the muscle power to compete anymore.

 

Beat the Devils Tattoo has an unfinished feeling, as if it’s been quickly put down on an old 8track recorder, but this is a cool feature of the song. Pretty soon the track sets in to a fairly predictable rotation of riffs and whiney tones not too dissimilar to Serge. Sorry to keep bringing Kasabian up.

 

The authentic basement-jam feel of the track remains fairly reserved and only strays in to a heavier chorus once, but never really becomes technically admirable or even mildly creative. To be honest, the verse actually becomes more and more repetitive as the song goes on. This is partly due to the fact that the chorus is just a succession of moans and whiney backing vocals. This is the main issue with releasing this track as the first single. It’s simply not memorable enough.

 

The bridge does become a little more experimental but before you know it the song has ended. This single just makes me feel unsatisfied. I really expected something different from these guys, as they have been known to change their style in past, I thought they might just give it another try. Unfortunately they didn’t have the balls. And unfortunately for them, there are bigger boys in the playground now, and I can’t see how they can make a name for themselves in quite the way they did all those years ago.