Specter at the Feast

Upon the release of, "Specter at the Feast" from Black Rebel Motor Cycle Club I thought to myself who better to review the 7th album from the garage revival rockers than the friend (and huge BRMC fan) who introduced me to the band years ago?
 

 When I asked JCD a.k.a: Jesse C. Dienner if he'd be interested in reviewing "Specter at the Feast" as the first guest writer featured here on Sweet Sound Bites he informed me that he had bought the album the day it was released (March 19th) and was busy listening to it.  Then without skipping a beat he said that he would love to review the album! 

Among many endearing qualities, Jesse C Dienner is a music-aficionado of sorts with a keen ear for various rock genres, he is part of  numerous local bands and also produces small shows around the Bay Area. 

And! His wardrobe rocks! How can you not trust a guy's musical input when he looks like a rockstar knowing that he's not even trying? Right?!

So, without further a do:

Specter At The Feast by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Reviewed by Jesse C. Dienner

 

Despite the starting tones sounding reminiscent of vintage Intel Microchip commercial music, I am still inevitably sold on the marvelousness of Specter At The Feast by the time I reach end of the side one track one “Firewalker.”  It is the kind of song that gives the listener so much sound landscape to play in, that one can easily start to invent one’s own lyrics to go along with the deliberate yet simultaneously stumbling beat.  This is a slow gait for an album that hits so hard shortly thereafter; and that juxtaposition frames this album and their overall style perfectly.  

The rambunctious side kicks in with “Hate The Taste” and “Rival,” which, sound like twain songs from the same original whole, or perhaps they are twin singles.  And, to that end, I suppose “Teenage Disease,” which follows right after, could be the youngest sibling still, or the surprise triplet, as it matches the driving progression of its two elders.  But, wait; what’s with these three titles, anyway?  Man, this shit is dark!  But, again, it is just one side of their coin.  This trio has always rolled through its musical life embracing both the dark—with phrases like “I’d rather die…” from the aforementioned song—and also the light—as noted in the second track, the posthumous, pére-homage-cover “Let The Day Begin” with its refrain “Here’s to you my little love with blessings from above…”  And, on top of that, the album is further illuminated by the shimmering song “Sometimes the Light.” 

     Many fans have come to love these guys (and now gal) for their unbridled appreciation of opposed concepts and their willingness to literally play the pendulum.  We remember the folky Howl just as we can always revisit the debut, self-abbreviated-titled album, with its explicit (if parenthetical) nod to something much harder as depicted in the tune “Whatever Happened To My Rock ‘N’ Roll (Punk Song).” Specter At The Feast takes its position in this cannon with its own uniqueness amidst that familiar dichotic sweet and sour.

Speaking of sweet sour, I am elated to notice that on the sleeve for the album, Robert, Peter and Leah have opted to continue their brilliant inclusion from the penultimate disc, Beat The Devil’s Tattoo, wherein they list ten or so albums by other bands which they wholeheartedly recommend to us listeners. This year’s Society of Good Records (as they call it) proudly nominates SweetSour by the incendiary Band Of Skulls as a prize-worthy work.  Band of Skulls got one of their first breaks touring with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club back in 2010 for the Beat The Devil’s Tattoo tour.

     

 

 With Beat The Devil’s Tattoo as the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s last impression and with high hopes and expectations, I attended a pair of warm-up concerts last December in San Francisco and Santa Cruz.  On those California winter nights, handfuls of new songs from the yet-to-be-released Specter At The Feast were played, in some cases, for the first times ever before live audiences.

The track that stuck out most upon these virgin listens ended up being the final track on the album, “Lose Yourself.”  Nevertheless, that song like this whole, new offering of songs continues to evolve, as it rolls itself over one’s sonic taste-buds. “Lose Yourself,” in particular, continues to deepen, expand, and intensify in songwriting brilliance the more I hear it.  It seems simple, and it is simple; and really it is simply excellent.   

 

(1of 6) BRMC's "Specter At The Feast" Short Film Series. Watch all 6 here. 

I have more exploring to do on this album, but I can tell that my dreams for its grandeur are already coming to fruition.  Black Rebel Motorcycle Club has yet to compromise their authenticity; and a complement couldn’t be higher.  Many of these newly-birthed songs will continue to take shape when played live on the current tour. Specter At The Feast is a relatively raw release where not a single lick was forced to conform to some level of production or some exact form in any sense; and by doing so (or rather not doing so) there is infinite give in the song structures.  In fact, there is a mysterious smokiness to these songs that truly matches the intention set by the album title, making this a collection of ghostly songs.  And if that weren’t enough, there is even a track called “Some Kind of Ghost.” (!!!)

      

As ever, I am proud of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club for being excellent writers, whose form matches their content and whose content matches their form.  And, what’s more, I am ever-impressed with how subtly their innate symmetry maintains itself: out go the Intel tones, one more time, at the close of the album; and we are brought back to the start, ready for another listen.

Big thanks to special guest writer Jesse C. Dienner for his spectacular review! 

Specter at the Feast is available now!