B.R.M.C. shows its dark side

After seeing Black Rebel Motorcycle Club last summer, I was not only impressed with its dedication to fans (taking numerous song requests throughout the night), but with its mega-packed two hour set list as well. That tour brought B.R.M.C. – in light of the politically-charged album “Baby 81” – back to the rock roots it had strayed from during 2005’s folksy “Howl.”

B.R.M.C.’s ability to reform its sound time after time left me to wonder-what would come next? Would we have B.R.M.C. at what in my opinion is its best, plucking guitar strings softly, or muted guitars dominating instead?

When I found out two weeks ago that B.R.M.C. had released a new instrumental album, I was more curious than ever. Thank goodness the album – “The Effects Of 333” – was only a click away. This rare gem was only available through its official Web site and marks B.R.M.C.’s first release on its independent Abstract Dragon record label. Upon a first listen, the group’s hush-hush mentality about the album (with the only announcement being four days before the Nov. 1 release) made sense. “The Effects Of 333” – unlike its previous four albums – was certainly not commercial, nor did it want to be.

The opening track, also entitled “The Effects Of 333,” sets the eerie mood that is apparent throughout most of the album. It’s a medley of ambiguous noise that sounds like a plane is about to land then cuts off, leading into the next track “Still No Answer.” The song sounds much like “The Effects Of 333,” successfully scaring the listener with echoes that are better suited for a scary movie soundtrack than a B.R.M.C. album.

Though I can tell it is trying to be unconventional, the album’s dark electronic reverberations get to be too much at times. It made me feel like a schizophrenic listening to random sound bites of middle-aged men talking throughout the song. If its goal is to make listeners get a little too far inside their heads, it has certainly been achieved.

Still I find my ear being drawn to the B.R.M.C. I love. “And With This Comes,” is a breath of fresh air in the midst of all the chaos, strumming soothing chords on top of a familiar riff that I can’t quite place my finger on. This song achieves an indefectible blend of the spacey supernatural sounds B.R.M.C. is trying to create, teamed with its pre-existing day-dreamy sound. If the entire “The Effects Of 333,” was like “And With This Comes,” I would be in heaven. This was a small taste of what I imagined the entire album to be, but was proven wrong.

The other acoustic track, “A Twisted State,” doesn’t seem to impress me with its repeating almost-boring arpeggio, but I still prefer it over the other spooky tracks.

In the end I must admit this album did not completely fulfill my expectations, but I do applaud its efforts to stray from its comfort zone. Something tells me B.R.M.C. was not really working on anyone’s agenda but its own.

Grade: C-

Download (don’t steal): “And With This Comes” by B.R.M.C.