ARTIST: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
TITLE: Take Them On, On Your Own
YEAR RELEASED: 2003
CHART ACTION: #47 US, #3 UK
SINGLES: Stop (#19 UK), We’re All in Love (#45 UK)
OTHER SONGS YOU MAY KNOW: Not here, maybe over there.
LINEUP: Robert Turner, Nick Jago, Peter Hayes
WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT: BRMC avoids the sophomore slump with a solid album that shows more diversity in sound and motifs.
SOME WORDS, PHRASES AND CLAUSES ABOUT THIS RECORD: There’s a fire and a snarl to this, the second album by the US born and UK loved (at the time) Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. The sound is by parts more hard rock, yet more sonically adventurous, and also more in your face about subjects and riffs.
The trio coalesces as a true unit here, with everyone contributing to the overall shape of the song and the dynamic tension involved. It’s really a good step for the band to not just repeat the formula than won them UK fans and accolades.
Others in the critic-sphere didn’t appreciate this record as much, but to my ears, this is a worthy followup.
NOTES & MINUTIAE: The title track was a B-side, not on the album.
IS THERE A DELUXE VERSION: Japan, of course.
GRADE A-: They showed some growth and consistency here