Album Review: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Specter At The Feast

 The return of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club into music three years since the passing of their producer and sound technician Michael Been (father of bassist Robert Been), sees the psych-rock trio release their sixth studio album and no doubt a tribute to the late Been, Specter At The Feast. While it bears all the typified characteristics of a BRMC album (that is, an abundance of fuzz-laden guitars, ample dosage of moody feedback and blues-infused psych-rock), given the affecting nature of their collective loss, their ordinarily more subtle, dismal exterior is amplified - making it their most emotionally charged release to date.

Despite what their black-heavy wardrobe would have you believe, the droning misanthropy that is first introduced in the album's haunting opening track Fire Walker (which fittingly appropriates its title from David Lynch's Twin Peaks) – is then further explored in the more bluesy Some Kind Of Ghost and the Slowdive-esque Sometimes The Light . It isn't a style usually tread by the trio, but it almost suits them better than the onslaught of fuzzed-out guitars and rock'n'roll attitude the band have been sporting for the twelve years of their career. It seems you can teach an old pony new tricks. 

The songwriting seems more careful and considered this time around, but something just doesn't quite reach the mark. Even in the more uninhibited moments of the album, there's still a lot that Specter At The Feast lacks.