After a certain period of time, a band is generally expected to make progress. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s third album, the acoustic Howl, fulfilled this expectation, as it is a drastic shift from the guns-blazing rock and roll of their previous works. While it sold well and was a critical success, many of the band’s fans were disappointed in the change of pace. Therefore, expectations for their new album Baby 81 were high. While it has its moments, Baby 81 fails to live up to the all-American rock revivalist hype bestowed upon BRMC. The band’s name, itself a reference to a Marlon Brando-led motorcycle gang in the 1953 flick The Wild One, is just another link in a long chain of outside influences. In fact, the aura of past rock greats abound on Baby 81- everything from Jesus and Mary Chain (to whom they most often draw comparisons) to some bluesy Rolling Stones, My Bloody Valentine, The Beatles and The Afghan Whigs are all represented on the album. Whereas most of the groups whom BRMC claim as influences were able to develop their sound, moving into new territory with each successive album, BRMC appears to be regressing. Instead of building upon the artistic and critical acclaim of Howl, using it as a springboard to further delve into uncharted musical waters, the band has reverted back to their original form.
The major issue at hand is, well, everything. For starters, the wide majority of the album simply sounds the same. While on their self-titled debut, the shredding guitars and thundering drums were a welcome sound, on Baby the concept has simply been worn out. In addition, lyrically, Baby leaves a lot to be desired. Cliches are the norm throughout, as the band re-explores at great length the effects of rebellion and revolution, evil heart-breaking women, and of course, rock and roll as the ultimate panacea. From the droning pianos of “All You Do is Talk,” to “Weapon of Choice’s” tired chorus of “I won't waste my love on a nation,” and the heavy-handed, political rhetoric of “Berlin,” BRMC has taken all the subtlety out of the music. Rather, the band chooses to bludgeon listeners over the head with their overly dramatic calls for a revolution. It is at best doubtful that BRMC would ever be anointed as leaders of any political uprising- listening to Baby 81, you can understand why. The band appears to really believe that revolution is some sort of instantaneous and spontaneous creation which, if they discuss it enough, will arise in a meaningful form. What they don’t seem to understand is that revolutions, like bands, develop over time. Similar to the attempt by disenchanted peoples to create a new status quo which fits their needs, over time bands must create a new sound which suits the desires of their fans. Rote repetition of the virtues of rebellion ad nauseum cannot add meaning where meaning does not exist and BRMC is certainly guilty of creating music which fits this bill. As BRMC plods along in the path they have tread for the past seven years, you can’t help but wish this band along with their pseudo-revolutionary baggage, would just ride off into the sunset.
