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Rating: America. America lost among the deserts of California. America glimpsed while strolling through Lexington. America with Bukowski's "sun of cigarettes."
"America" that, if it were a novel, could begin like this:
"Once upon a time, there was a random Cotter who, by chance, found himself watching the season-end match of the Giants in the same stadium where, unsurprisingly, Edgar J. Hoover was present. All while the former was busy shelling peanuts, the latter had to deal with a not-so-'jazzily stylized' Frank Sinatra."
I was saying, it could begin like this if it were a novel. And I were Don DeLillo.
But these are the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. This is a record. But America, that, is always her. "Howl", or the famous howl of Allen Ginsberg. A howl exploded during a party that ended before it even began. "Howl", or an anthem to the singers of the "Beat Generation," if it still can be defined as such. The album you wouldn't expect from a band with such a well-oiled and damnably successful sound machine, and yet here's what they pull out! A return to the origins, to the Black Rebel that they were and, as they say, have always been. Decidedly very country, like the best Rock'N'Roll made in the USA. It's already clear with the opening "Shuffle Your Feet", its "Time won't save our souls," and the acoustics reminiscent of Bob Dylan.
Bittersweet, at times discordant, with harmonicas worthy of the best Neil Young (perhaps the one from "Harvest Moon") in "Fault Line", which is folk à la Johnny Cash. Black like Eddie Vedder of "Alive." Tracks like "Howl" evoke, in certain aspects, the polemic and singer-songwriter Lou Reed of New York, particularly "Last Great American Whale." One of the best pieces is surely the ballad "Devil's Waiting" with its gospel rock'n'roll and a damnably bluesy voice. Just like "Ain't No Easy Way Out".
The piano of "Promise" is certainly the best endorsement of the entire album: simply heartfelt. Then there's "Gospel Song", and it's time again for a whispered blues, sung perhaps only as Mr. Mark Lanegan would with his American gentleman swagger.
But the truth is that the emulators of Mr. Stanley Kowalski resemble no one, fortunately.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Shuffle Your Feet (02:53)
Time won't save our souls
Time won't save our souls
Time won't save my soul... no
When everything is going down
Nothing seem to feel same
No one seem to know my name
No one seem to go my way
But who knows if I'll see you again
But who knows if I'll see you again
One for the so named dreamers
One for the wicked man
One for the peaceful protests
That keeps the war in demand
Who knows if I'll see you again
Who knows if I'll see you again
Time won't save our souls
Time won't save my soul
Time won't save our souls
Time won't save my soul
I never thought I'd see it coming
I never thought I'd ever know
Nothing seems to take me over
Nothing seems to let me go
Who knows if I'll see you again
Who knows if I'll see you again
02 Howl (04:20)
You try so hard to be cool
You try so hard to not show
I give you nothing to doubt, and you doubt me
I give you all that I have, but you don't see
Now I know that my eyes must close here
Every word seems to feel like you don't care
But I know that you're so confused and afraid
I just want to be one true thing that don't fade
I don't wanna give up tomorrow
I just can't understand why we're going on
You try so hard to be heard
You try so hard to not hurt
I give you nothing to doubt, and you doubt me
I give you all that I have, but you don't see
Now I know that my eyes must close here
Every word seems to feel like you don't care
But I know that you're so confused and afraid
I just want to be one true thing that don't fade
I don't wanna give up tomorrow
I just can't understand why we're going on
04 Ain't No Easy Way (02:36)
It's easy to fall in love
When you fall in love you know your done
You got easy eyes to hunt
When the world above needs your blood
And the cold vain to the richest man
They're paid away to steal our hand
There aint no easy way no there aint no easy way out
There aint no easy way no there aint no easy way out
There aint no easy way no there aint no easy way out
It's easy to fall in love
When your on your luck you know your done
And the last kiss had a foolish cause
Straight tired eyes could only haunt
There aint no easy way no there aint no easy way out
There aint no easy way no there aint no easy way out
There aint no easy way no there aint no easy way out
There aint no easy way no there aint no easy way out
There aint no easy way no there aint no easy way out
There aint no easy way no there aint no easy way out
There aint no easy way no there aint no easy way out
There aint no easy way no there aint no easy way out
There aint no easy way no there aint no easy way out
Its easy to fall in love when you fall in love you know your done
09 Restless Sinner (03:12)
Restless sinner, rest in sin,
He's got no face to hold him in.
He feels his day's as dark as night,
He's been waiting with the blind just to find a place to hide his ghost.
No open lies, no consequence,
The door's been closed since he's walked in.
The fight's been raging so many days,
He'll greet you with a cross and a sickle as he helps you in.
You fall in ways to an open fire,
You got no taste for his desire.
He brings you in to warm your bones,
He's the reason why you came, and the reason why you'll have to go.
Mmmm fool's got a fallen raise,
Another fallen child.
It can't be known what lies and waits,
For those of us in crippled states,
A broken mind is no escape,
When there's no one left to reason with, There's no one left to call your name.
Mmmm fool's got a fallen raise,
Another fallen child.
11 Complicated Situation (02:36)
Well everything's so different now, this scream which fills the air,
And haunts the hall which children sleep upon the floor,
They'll have the gun, you'll hear them say with smiles meant to cry,
As they wind the watch strapped on the wrist and quickly look away,
And four and six have come and gone, five times before this scene,
And upon the lips of everyone, the curse I've never dreamed,
Yeah, upon the lips of everyone, the curse I've never dreamed.
It's a complicated situation,
It's a complicated situation mama,
I'm a complicated situation.
The young must be our sacrifice, they say with crippled grins,
The eyes of youth must lose their way and stumble here within,
So the sleeping children were awoke, in time to haze their eyes,
So it's never known on which they choke's worth books of old and time,
So it's never known on which they choke's worth books of old and time.
It's a complicated situation,
It's a complicated situation mama,
I'm a complicated situation.
12 Sympathetic Noose (04:17)
I gotta feeling I can't lose,
I gotta sympathetic noose,
But I don't know how to be grateful,
Yeah I don't know how you're thankful,
I gotta feeling I can't lose,
I gotta sympathetic noose,
'Cause you don't know how to lean on,
Yeah I don't know how to be freed from,
You gotta keep your head up,
You gotta let yourself get through,
All you ever dream,
Makes you want to hide,
Least all your expectations,
Feel the hole inside,
All you ever dream,
It makes you want to hide,
Least all your expectations,
Feel the hole inside.
I gotta feeling in my boots,
I gotta make some sense of you,
'Cause I don't know how to be careful,
Yeah I don't know how to be there for,
I gotta feeling I can't prove,
I gotta sympathetic noose,
'Cause I don't know how you're grateful,
Yeah I don't know how to be thankful,
You gotta keep your head up,
You gotta let yourself get through,
All you ever dream,
Makes you want to hide,
Least all your expectations,
Feel the hole inside,
All you ever dream,
It makes you want to hide,
Least all your expectations,
Feel the hole inside.
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Other reviews
By instant karma
"Peter Hayes' voice is deeper than ever and the acoustic guitars intertwine with harmonicas played with the passion of a seasoned folk artist."
"They have put first and foremost themselves, laid bare amidst the guitars and voices of 'Howl', far from the stereotype of damned rockers chasing after the Jesus and Mary Chain."
By principles
The album is good, it’s a good blues, quite well played, but I don’t know why, the album is (maybe) too acoustic (and repetitive) and in the long run it tires.
'Howl' the true masterpiece of the album: minimal organ, percussion, and electric guitars that aren’t dirty, but they are there.
By GrantNicholas
"Howl is a journey into the roots of rock ’n’ roll Made in USA, filtered through blues, country, gospel, and folk undertones."
This record was released more out of the band’s desire to distance themselves from the label of being Jesus And Mary Chain clones.
