| |
B.R.M.C., Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (Virgin): This
San Fran trio are the Jesus & Mary Chain reincarnated, right down to
the black Velvets garb, fucked-up hair and stupid band name (you have
to concentrate in order not to say "PMRC" instead). Somehow, though
(because they're 2/3 American, 1/3 British?), they don't come across
as poseurs — a neat trick when your forefathers struck the most
shameless pose of the '80s. The more you listen to this dazzling
debut, the less it seems their Cathedral of Feedback is concealing
something — an ironic sneer, say, or a smarmy new-wave come-on.
They're merely using Psychocandy as a workaday aesthetic
strategy and, despite loads of melodrama, they never sound
pretentious about it either. How did they pull off such a delicate
balance? My guess is through their devotion to the guitar as supreme
noisemaker. You can hear it gushing forth on every cut here,
especially the brief psychotic reaction that happens 3:06 into "As
Sure As the Sun." — Kevin John
copyright (c) 2001 michael goldberg | design by elephantcloud
|
